In the Wake of What Follows
by InTheArmsofaTheif
Summary: -Complete- "Death follows me. Every one I've ever cared about is gone, so I try not to care anymore" :OC: This is a story about coming to terms with loss, a new reality, who you are, and learning to love again.
1. Chapter 1

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**In the Wake of What Follows**

_**Chapter One**_

The sun beat down like an angry god upon the land, but so high up on the mountain Genkai was safe from such wrath as a cool breeze twisted through her hair and gently grazed her skin. With a sigh of saddened content, Genkai brought her tea to her lips and drank. It had been a great number of years since the first demon world tournament and everything was peaceful. As nice as that was, she had to admit to herself that things were almost boring. Genkai had had a life full of danger and excitement and a part of her yearned for something new. But fighting just wasn't in her anymore. Her bones were growing weak and her eyes tired. Her time was coming soon, she knew, but one last excitement was all she wanted. She wasn't one to go out without a bang.

As she went to put her cup down, she paused and closed her eyes. Every once in a while a new apparition would wander onto her estate and make camp, so to speak, and Genkai would allow it. She wanted her land available for any to take refuge on, but the energy signatures she picked up as being new weren't demonic, but human, and that worried her. While Genkai considered her land a sanctuary to those who wanted it, that didn't mean she could protect strays if an altercation should arise.

The sound of sliding doors took Genkai out of her thoughts for a moment, placing her tea cup down fully on ledge beside her. "They're too far away to reach before nightfall," she simply stated, her sight set in the direction of the foreign energies.

"Then I best make haste," he responded. Then, after a slight nod, he took off after the humans.

X

"I'm not sure about this, guys," Terra said. "The sign does say private property."

"What, are you chicken?" the blonde asked, throwing his bag over the fence. He shot Terra a pout and made a few baby noises. "Little Terra not up for any adventures?"

She pushed his shoulder and rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut it, Conner. I just don't want to be caught doing anything illegal." What she didn't tell him was this gut wrenching feeling in the pit of her stomach. Something didn't feel right about this place, as if the shadows in the trees weren't just shadows.

The boy behind her placed a hand on top her head and she turned up to look into his smiling blue eyes. "Ignore him, he's just sour Miyako broke up with him and has to see us this entire trip." Jeremy leaned down and planted a soft kiss on her lips.

Conner told them to get a room as he began to climb the fence. Before Terra had time to protest, Jeremy went and tossed his bag over as well. "Come on, Terra, live a little," he said with a smile. While his smile was something that could always calm her nerves, it didn't shake the feeling she had towards the grounds they were about to enter. "We're not going to get caught," he continued, sensing her reaction. "The land is like 500 acres, it reaches all the way to the coast. The only ones living there are the people keeping up the temple, which is much closer to the other side than where we are. We're not likely to be seen by anybody."

"This sounds like the start of a horror movie," she quipped.

Jeremy held out his hand for her pack as Conner landed on the other side. "Trust me."

With one last wayward glance around her, Terra did. She trusted him wholly.

X

The deeper into the woods they traveled, the more on ease Terra became. More often than not, she prompted the boys to take the steeper climb, the less open path. Something was guiding her away from the easier looking routes. But this tactic could only last so long in such strong heat.

Conner dropped his bag and sprawled across the stone once he reached the top of their latest climb. Luckily, they were shaded by the trees, but this only did so much to protect them from the fierce rays of the sun. They were all tired. "That's it," Conner said after a few deep breaths. "I'm picking the way for a while." Terra, although still on ease from the place, was too exhausted herself to put up any complaint. She and Jeremy followed suit, dropping their bags and then collapsing onto the ground.

"I'd cuddle," Jeremy said, "but I think we'd stick to each other or burst into flames or something," he joked.

"That's fine," she laughed, "you stink anyway." From her spot, not too far away, she leaned over and pecked his cheek before lying back down. "We should seek out another onsen tomorrow. I don't think we're going to get out of here before tonight, even if we just back tracked."

Conner agreed. "We still have time before we need to make camp though." A long yawn came from him and then a mumbled, "Can still make it a little further."

Terra looked over at Conner and rolled her eyes. He was asleep already. True, it was still early, but they were exhausted and they were in a spot where she almost felt safe. From her other side, Terra felt as Jeremy's fingers stroked her own. She reveled in his soft touch for a moment before lolling her head over to look at him. The pair didn't say anything, merely stared at each other with silly smiles on their faces while resting their aching limbs.

Before long, they too were asleep in the hot summer haze.

X

Terra was having a nightmare. She knew she was. She had always been very conscious of herself dreaming, but unlike most people who then slip into lucid dreaming, Terra was never able to control what happened. Normally she wouldn't mind, but this was a nightmare. All of the "shadows that weren't" she had sensed upon entering the woods came out of their hiding with bared teeth and sharp claws. The sun's fire was gone and she was left in a cold, dark wood with darker creatures out for her blood.

Jeremy's bright eyes found hers in the darkness, beckoning her closer. Terra was pulled to them, but no matter how many steps she took he seemed only to get further away. Then something attacked her.

She woke with a start, panting, a scream still ringing in her ears. The moonlight was scarce under the tree's guard and it took a moment for her eyes to adjust. Before they did, however, a sudden realization brought her to her feet. It wasn't her scream she heard. Despite the warm air, a chill ran down her spine. There was something in the dark, she could feel it.

Terra rushed over to where Jeremy lay, still sleeping, and shook him awake. He tried to shoo her off, but her persistence got his attention. "What?" he finally managed after sitting up, his eyes still mostly closed. Her voice came out panicked and rushed, "We're not safe here. We have to go. I don't know where, but we do," she pleaded.

Her hair was plastered to her face in a light sheen of sweat and her eyes were wild. Jeremy reached up to push the strays behind her ear and left his hand on her cheek. "Did you have another nightmare?" he asked. Jeremy's thumb lightly ran across her skin just under her eye. Terra had been having nightmares frequently the last few years, so it didn't come at too much of a surprise when she woke up with frantic gestures and teary looks. She nodded into his hand and let out a shaky breath. Jeremy dropped his hand and stood. "Come on, I'll get you your water." With tired steps he walked towards her bag, expecting her to sit and calm down.

"I heard a scream," she told him, breath still shaky. "I don't think it was my dream, I really think I heard a scream." Jeremy looked at her with a comforting smile and suddenly she wasn't as sure. "I mean, it was just as I woke up, so I could be wrong." Terra looked down at her hands in her lap, wishing she was strong enough to get over her nightmares.

"Was it the car dream again," he asked, "or a different one?" With an outstretched arm, he handed her water bottle over and sat. Terra shook her head and took a sip. "There were monsters in this one," she said. Her breath had returned to normal, but her heart still raced as if she were running. "And you were in it."

"I hope I wasn't the monster," he said with a warm smile. To this she shook her head and took another drink. "Was Conner?"

Terra looked over to the lump of shadow that was Conner's bag, saying no. Her eyes scrutinized the dark, trying to make out Conner himself. "Is he over there?" The words came out barely a whisper, fear gripping everything insider her. With a heavy sigh, Jeremy stood up again and walked over to where Conner had fallen asleep. "No, he's not," Jeremy said, slightly surprised. Looking back over and seeing Terra's terrified expression he immediately put his hands up. "He probably just went to pee or something. Calm down, there's nothing in these woods."

His words were soothing and his eyes were loving, but just as he finished his sentence, something pulled him into the darkness. Another scream rang through the woods, this time from her own lips. The air became cold and she didn't know whether to run towards him or away. The sound of his voice reached her ears, freezing her where she stood. Something tore at her side and breath stopped, but that didn't prevent her from one last scream, his name echoing across the mountain.

X

It took a few blinks before Terra was able to form even an inkling of a thought. The first thing she felt was the sun on her face, flittering through the window on her left. The warmth was welcome. The second thing she felt was the pain. With a sudden pulse of agony, Terra gasped. Her breath quickly became as ridged as it had been after her nightmare and a flood of memories coursed through her brain.

A wail escaped her lips, but not from the pain. It was the fear that drew out such a noise. And soon she was sobbing like a frightened child. No matter how Terra tried to recall Jeremy's eyes, her mind brought her back to the pale yellow irises that surrounded her in the night.

She didn't even hear as people rushed to her side, telling her to be still and cooing her to calm down. The sight of strange faces was not something Terra had the capacity to take in. They were like ghosts in her vision, voices barely audible, blocking her from the wake state she longed for.

It took several minutes for her to calm down and several more before she was able to think clearly. The group merely waited for her to speak, now that she wasn't in risk of tearing at her wound.

"Help me sit up?" were the first words out of her mouth. Terra looked over at the people in the room, eyes pleading with them to let her.

"Your wound was deep," one of them said. It took a minute for Terra's eyes to focus on the speaker, but when she did, she felt she had seen him before. He almost looked like a girl, with such soft features, and his red hair, which reached his mid back, was more luminous than most girls Terra knew. "We don't want to put any strain on it."

"Please?"

The old woman among them nodded her head slightly. The red head and a girl with long brown hair made their way to Terra's side and gently eased her into a sitting position with a few ragged breaths from her part. Terra placed a hand on her side. Under her shirt she had been wrapped in bandages. The slightest pressure from her own hand lead to a rush of pain and a shudder down her spine.

Through weary eyes, Terra looked at her aid. The old woman had her eyes closed as if in deep thought, so still she could have been sleeping. The girl, who looked about Terra's age, looked at Terra as if she were a wounded fox; she wanted to help but didn't know if she would be bitten. The red head, by contrast, looked at Terra with calm eyes and a slight smile.

"Where are my friends?" Terra asked, her voice carrying every note of fear she held within her.

The girl with the long brown hair flinched. That was the bite she had been afraid of. Instinctively, Terra's eyes went wide and she tried to stand. The red head reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder. Despite his gentle touch, it was still strong enough to force Terra seated.

"Where are my friends?" she repeated, slightly higher in pitch than before.

A sigh came from the man holding my shoulder. "I am truly sorry." He spoke with a voice that had said these words many times. "Your friends wounds were too vast and too many. Even had they gotten proper treatment, I don't think they would have," his voice trailed off.

"They're dead?" Terra's voice cracked as she asked.

His hand's grip tightened ever the slightest on her shoulder in a way of comfort. "They're dead."

Before another moment could pass, Terra dissolved into tears.

X

Death does not dwell well in the light of heart. To those who used to need an anchor to keep them from floating away, death can lead to a still in the air and crash to ground. It brings them down further than those who already have their feet planted.

To Terra, it was as if her world caved in and trapped her in stone.

The revelations that came later only buried her further.


	2. Chapter 2

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**In the Wake of What Follows**

_**Chapter Two**_

The three persons with Terra didn't leave her side as she cried. Although she cried for what seemed like hours, and the girl with the long hair did seem somewhat uncomfortable, they all sat and waited for Terra to calm down again. Terra didn't know if she was glad for their presence or not. When she had no more tears, the atmosphere staled around her like a numbing shield.

"Keiko," the old woman said, her eyes still closed in meditation, "bring the girl some rice and tea, will you?"

With a slight scramble, the girl with the long brown hair stood and rushed away. After the sliding door closed again and Keiko's footsteps faded, the silence that fell over the room was deafening. Terra's throat was sore from crying, but she couldn't stand the quiet anymore. She drew a deep breath, in and out, before speaking.

"What," she paused for a second, running her tongue over her lips, "what attacked us?"

"A pack of wolves, it appears," the man supplied. "There are a number of wild anim-" but he was unable to finish his lie.

"Wolves don't grab people." Terra looked at the red head, her jaw set in a hard line. "They don't have hands to do that. Wolves eyes aren't yellow with white pupils. Wolves aren't that quiet."

The red head seemed non fazed by her underlying accusations. He merely continued to stare at her with his ever so green eyes and the whisper of a smile on his lips. "You sound as if you have good experience with wolves," he said.

"My dad was a hunter," was her curt reply. "What attacked us," Terra repeated.

Keiko opened the door again with a tray under her arm. She placed the food and drink beside where Terra sat and then turned to the old woman. "Genkai, the people are here to get the," she quickly glanced at Terra before setting her eyes to the floor. She took a breath before continuing. "Do you want me to ask them to wait, or should I direct them to," but the words stuck in her throat and the beginning of tears could be seen in her eyes. Keiko cleared her throat and waited for instruction.

The old woman stood and gave Terra a stern look. "Eat. You need to keep your strength up." With that, she took her leave, Keiko following behind.

"Genkai is right, you need to eat," the man said, still looking at her with the same eyes.

"You were there," Terra said. Her eyes narrowed, studying his face. "I remember your hair." A vague memory of the man's shadowed form standing in the above her came forward in Terra's mind. His hair almost glistened when the moonlight had hit it.

He nodded. "Yes, I happened to be in the area when I heard screams. I was able to bring you back here after scaring off the wolves."

"By yourself?" she asked, incredulous to his words. "Who are you," she asked when no further explanation was given.

"My name is Kurama," he stated and then stayed silent.

"But who are you?" Another silence passed between them before he responded.

"I'm a doctor, in the neighboring village. Professionally known as Shuichi Minamino. I was visiting Genkai to check up on her health. Lucky for you I was here and able to treat your wounds."

The hand Terra had rested on her side stroked the bandages in silent contemplation. She meant to thank him for that, but she couldn't with so many questions swimming around her head. When she opened her lips, the words that followed were "What was a doctor doing in the woods, halfway down the mountain and so far away from this building?"

Before Kurama responded, voices flooded the hallway, heading towards this room. When the door opened, a uniformed police officer and a paramedic entered, Genkai and Keiko at their tails. Kurama filled the paramedic in as to Terra's condition and as to his status of a doctor, somehow convincing the man no trip to the hospital was needed. It was too early to take off the bandages to check on the wound, so after a quick once over the medic declared her stable, but in no condition to be moved for a few days.

"I'm sorry for having to do this," the police officer said, his voice with all the calculated warmth for dealing with such situations, "but I have to ask you a few questions."

Terra nodded slowly, shifting her gaze from Kurama to the floor.

"Your name?" he asked, sitting down next to Kurama.

"Terra Nakashima."

The officer nodded and then handed her an ID card. "This is you?" he asked.

"Yes."

The card had come from Terra's wallet she had hooked to her pants. She supposed one of them took it off of her while she slept. The officer continued with basics of who Terra was before coming to the actual incident at hand. Terra listed them off without much thought.

"Twenty-two . . . My father's father was Japanese . . . I'm an American citizen . . . yes, I have a visa . . . I'm a student, or, was. I graduated last month."

"Who were the boys with you?"

Terra paused a moment before collecting herself and answering. "Conner Black and Jeremy Scotts."

"And how were you acquainted with them?"

"School. We went to Sophia University together. Conner and Jeremy had been roommates."

"Were you aware that you had been trespassing on private property?"

Terra thought of her weak attempt to persuade the boys into not jumping the fence. If she had been more upset over the matter, more determined not to let them go, the maybe they'd still be here. Tears would have threated to break if she had any left to spare.

"Yes."

"What happened last night while you were on this property?"

"We had fallen asleep before night set from exhaustion. I woke up by," _by Conner's scream_, she thought, "by the howling of wolves." The lies tasted bitter on her mouth, but they were the safer ones to speak. "I woke Jeremy up, told him we needed to leave. Once he was fully awake, we went over to Conner, but he was missing. Jeremy said he probably just went for a bathroom break. That was when Jeremy was attacked." Terra paused in her story, reliving the moment in her head.

"By the wolves," the officer prompted.

Terra dared a glance to Kurama. His almost smile had left his face, replaced by the pity he had for the girl.

"By the wolves," Terra repeated. "One got me soon after, and I blacked out. Apparently this man came to my rescue." She gestured to Kurama with a slight nod of her head.

"Pure serendipity on my part," Kurama said, before the officer could ask him any questions. "Was out searching for a plant I knew grew in that area of Genkai's land when I heard the screams. I had my tranquilizer gun with me, knowing such beasts lived on this mountain. I was able to subdue the wolves and immediately went to try and stop the bleeding of her and her friends. Knowing it was too much to handle solely, I called my friend Yusuke, who is also visiting Genkai, and together we were able to bring them back."

"And where is this friend of yours?" the officer asked Kurama, eyeing him with caution.

To this, Genkai responded. "I sent him on an errand." The room seemed to turn to look at the old crone as if she hadn't been there before. "He should be back before long."

The officer nodded and jotted a few notes down. "Genkai has chosen to not press charges as to your trespassing. You should be lucky for that and your life." He stood up, scribbling more into his notes. "Now, Miss Nakashima, is there anyone you would like me to notify? The parents of your friends will be contacted as soon as I get back to the station, but if there's anyone you'd like me to send for," he offered.

Terra shook her head. "No," she said softly, "there's no one."

The officer shut his notebook and he and the medic took their leave. This was an open and shut case for the man, and there was still plenty left to do before he could call it a day.

"Now eat." Genkai's words hung in the air for a moment before Terra finally obliged.

X

Terra was left alone. Kurama had left sometime during her meal and had yet to return. Keiko came and went, making sure she wasn't moving too much or wished for more after clearing her tray. The old woman hadn't been seen since her last command to eat, but Terra thought she heard her voice sigh behind the door more than once over the course of the day.

She could have burned a hole in the floor with how hard she stared. When the door opened again, she didn't turn to look. Terra was surprised to hear four deliberate steps against the wood floor and not Keiko's nervous shuffling. A thud echoed in the quiet room as something heavy hit against the floor causing Terra to turn her head. Kurama stood behind a mound of hiking backpacks, the same three Terra, Jeremy, and Conner had carried with them halfway up the mountain.

"I thought you might want these. My friend Yusuke went back to the site to bring them back. I'm not sure which one is yours."

"What attacked me?" Terra asked, eyes locking with Kurama's, "Really." She waited, but he said nothing. She nearly growled her next words. "What _killed_ my friends?"

"You sound like someone preparing for revenge," he remarked casually.

Terra had to scoff at that. "Revenge, right. I just wan- I just need to know the truth." Her voice had become softer, but more determined somehow. "Those weren't wolves, which you obviously know. And you weren't just looking for a rare herb in the middle of the night and just so happened to save me." Terra had spent a lot of time trying to remember the moments she was conscious. "You knew we were there. You asked where the third one was, at one point. They don't make hand held tranquilzer guns, and you carried me on your back, so where was your rifle? Tell me the _truth_."

Genkai's gruff voice came from behind Kurama. "Tell her. She can handle it."

Kurama looked behind him for a moment and then nodded. He and the old woman took their same seats in front of Terra. "I'm not sure how you're going to take this, Terra," Kurama began, the first of any of them saying her name. "Most people tend to dismiss such things as mere trick of the mind, and convince themselves away from the truth. But as you seem convinced that it was not a band of wolves that attacked you and your friends, then maybe you'll be more open to the alternative."

"Which is," she prompted.

"Demons."

"Demons?" she repeated, the word sounded right and yet completely insane at the same time. It was as if every book, every TV show, every movie she ever saw come to light in the worst possible way. There had been so many variations of what that single word meant; it was like it had no meaning at all.

Genkai spoke up again. "You could feel it, couldn't you." It wasn't so much a question as a pull for Terra's understanding.

She didn't want to admit it. It sounded crazy to her own ears, but Terra nodded. "I had a bad feeling looking at this place. It was like the shadows weren't shadows."

Genkai nodded. "And these feelings are what had you take the path you did, one with the least amount of bad feeling, as you say." Terra looked at her, surprised. That was it exactly. "No one would have taken the path you chose without some strong spirit awareness." Before Terra could ask what spirit awareness was the old woman continued. "Tell me, have you always seen things out of the corner of your eye, felt shadows move, seen a face change for just a second to something monstrous?"

To this Terra shook her head. She had yet to come to terms with the reality of demons, but a part of her already believed every word the pair were saying. "No, no, it's more recent." The words came out before she realized it. She _had _seen things out of the corner of her eye, faces change, avoided that strange feeling more than just when she stepped foot on the ground. Terra had always shaken it off as a trick of the light or an irrational fear.

"How recent," Kurama asked, his tone seeming more serious than she had heard it before.

Terra thought back to the first time she had the same foreboding feeling as when she entered Genkai's land. She had been walking to school, a route she was so familiar with she wasn't even thinking about where she was going, when something froze her in her tracks. A chill ran down her spine despite the warm spring weather. To her right was a darkened ally. It was light enough to tell there was no one there but it felt as if there was something staring at her with hungry eyes. Without a second thought, Terra tore off until she was among a throng of people, the crowd giving her some security.

"About two years ago, I think."

"Did anything happen to you that could have led to you gaining higher spirit awareness? Had anyone approached you, or-"

"I died," she said suddenly, as if all the gears of her mind suddenly clicked together. "My heart stopped for almost two minutes. They said I was legally dead for that time." Terra's eyes searched those of Kurama and Genkai for answers but found none. "What happened to me?"

Kurama smiled a bit and stood. "Perhaps Yusuke would be best at explaining this. He went through quite a similar experience."

He went to leave, but before he reached the door, another man with shaggy black hair poked his head in. A toothy grin was plastered on the boy's face. "Someone say my name?"

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><p>NOTES:<p>

I would like to thank _**Shiningheart_of_ThunderClan**_ for reviewing my first chapter. I was really surprised because I just posted it yesterday and nothing really happened yet.

And yes, she guessed right, Terra has spirit awareness!

Thanks for reading, as I'm enjoying writing this.


	3. Chapter 3

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**In the Wake of What Follows**

_**Chapter Three**_

Yusuke seemed so out of place compared to Kurama and Genkai. He was loud and wore his emotions on his sleeves. At the same time, he seemed so at home that it immediately relaxed Terra. He was just so much more _normal_ compared to the other two.

"You died?" His words sounded surprised after everything had been retold to him. Yusuke looked at Terra with a quirked eyebrow. "Ah, that's nothing. I've died twice." At this, it was Terra's turn to quirk and eyebrow. "Yeah," he continued, "the first time I was hit by a car trying to save some idiot kid who chased a ball into road. I was dead for a while, actually. Had a funeral planned out and everything. Only reason I got a second chance was 'cause some big shot brat up in spirit world needed a new guy to take care of the demons."

Terra listened with quiet fixation as Yusuke explained his death, meeting a perky grim reaper named Boton, Koenma, Spirit World, and then becoming a Spirit Detective once he was back in his own body. He went over his new ability to see and sense demons, his new powers in order to fight them, and his first few missions.

"That's when I met Kurama, because he had stolen this mirror thing, and I just thought he was another punk ass demon I had to fight, but he turned out to be a softy."

Terra was taken out of her near trance by those words. Her eyes shifted quickly to the red head who was giving Yusuke warning look. "You're a demon?" she questioned, her heart suddenly in her throat.

Yusuke deadpanned. "Was I not supposed to say," he started, but Kurama quickly waved him off.

"I wasn't hiding it, per say. I merely thought it would be best to hold such information until she was at terms with not all demons being, well." He looked at Terra and gave his same smile.

"Murderous monsters," she supplied with the slightest hint of venom in her words.

"Yeah, that's most of 'em," Yusuke laughed. "Except now there's a solid King in the demon world who's not letting any human be harmed if they accidentally cross the barrier and the clan rulers have all forbidden their men to terrorize humans here, so it's not so bad anymore. Kinda boring."

Terra took a deep breath, trying to take it all in. She didn't have much time, as Yusuke started back in on his story. He became really animated during it all. Terra couldn't help but become interested. They all seemed like such interesting characters. She didn't really believe him when he talked about Genkai's harsher than harsh training, which popped up time and again over the course of his tale. The old woman seemed too, well, old, to be so strong, but everybody gets old, she supposed.

Keiko came in at some point and sat down on the other side of Genkai. She watched Yusuke with a bit of annoyance, but Terra could see the affection behind her eyes. It shot a pang down her heart thinking of it.

"So," Terra interjected at one point, "you save the world from demons and crazies with psychic powers. I mean what else, right?" A dishearten laugh left her lips. "And how'd you die the second time?"

"Sensui killed me," he said, his voice less jovial than before. "Turns out I'm the great, great, I don't know how many grandson of a demon and because my spirit power had grown so much during my time being a spirit detective, it awoke that part of me when my heart stopped."

"Meaning?" Terra pressed.

"I'm kind of a demon too." Yusuke went on to explain the rest of his adventures, traveling to demon world to confront his ancestor and the demon world tournament, but Terra wasn't nearly as intent on listening as before.

"Well," Genkai said once Yusuke finally stopped talking, "I wasn't expecting everything come out in one go, but I suppose it makes things easier. I never did like skirting around things." When she stood, so did the others. "Keiko, why don't you prepare our guest a meal. I'm going to make another cup of tea."

When Kieko left, Yusuke scurried to his feet and followed like a frantic puppy. Kurama stood slowly and nodded at Terra. "You never said," he began, seemingly unsure of himself, "but what caused your heart to stop? If you don't mind me asking."

"And if I do mind?" Terra wasn't in the mood to speak, especially over that matter.

"Then we'll leave it at that," he said politely. "I'm afraid you're not likely to be seeing me again. I mean to leave for the village."

He turned to leave, taking a few calculated steps before Terra spoke up. "Thank you," she said, "for saving me, that is."

"It was of no consequence," he replied, and was gone.

X

Keiko returned some time later, another tray of food for Terra. The rich smell hit her and her stomach growled. She looked at Keiko with a lopsided grin. "It smells good. Thank you."

"Yusuke made it, actually. He runs a ramen shop in our town. He's actually quite good."

"Well, thank him then."

Keiko set the tray down and smiled, though it fell a bit before she spoke again. "I know this must be hard for you, all this new information on top of what happened. I can't imagine what you're going through. But, I do know what it's like to lose someone you care about." Keiko looked towards the door with a sigh. "I was just lucky enough he came back." She gave Terra a sad smile. "So, if you need to talk to someone, I'm here."

"Thank you," Terra said again and waited for Keiko to leave before eating.

X

Terra woke up having almost forgotten the past days' events. She had been laid back down on the futon and her tray had been cleared. It took all she had not to cry upon remembering they were dead. This is real. They were dead. Her breath hitched when she saw the pile of bags lying on the other side of the room.

With a wince and what felt like fire on her side, Terra pulled herself up into a sitting position. It was a slow, painful process, but Terra crawled her way over to the bags. She didn't trust her legs to hold.

She pushed her own pack aside. It didn't matter. Her hand reached out for Jeremy's bag with the blue paneling before she stopped herself. It stayed there hovering over the front pouch for what seemed like hours as her heart raced inside her chest. She watched as her hand trembled, unable to control her nerves.

Quickly, Terra moved her hand over to Conner's pack and undid the latch. The first few layers were all food. _Typical,_ she thought. Then there were a pile of crumpled clothes. Every t-shirt had some odd saying or reference on it, and Terra found herself smiling despite herself, remembering Conner. There wasn't much else in there. Conner was never one for worldly possessions or anything of that sort. There was his key chain, which was hooked to an outer pocket which held his wallet. Terra took her time going through them both, recalling memories with each one.

She spent a good amount of time folding his clothes nicely and repacking his bag. It felt she was packing him away in the recesses of her mind. As close as Terra was to Conner, she was somehow okay and able to accept his passing. When she relatched the bag, her hands were no longer shaking.

Suddenly, Terra realized just how raw her eyes were from crying, the dull throb of a headache forming at her temples. "Fuck," she muttered, rubbing at her eyes. _I've had my contacts in this whole time._ When she took her hands away, one of her contacts had already fallen out. The room was blurred strangely as she looked at it with both eyes. Terra pulled her own bag back to her and took out her toiletry kit. With one eye closed, she found her contact case and solution. After taking out the second contact Terra put some of her solution straight onto her eye. She knew she wasn't supposed to, but she didn't have any regular eye drops with her.

She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. The headache was only going to get worse before it got better. Terra's headaches were always bad. She had decided to just lie down and rest some more before putting new contacts in when a knock came from the door. For a moment, Terra was surprised. No one had knocked before entering before. When no one opened the door, Terra gave a tentative yes to door.

It slid open to reveal Keiko. She had another bowl of rice for Terra, as well as a glass of water. "Are you okay, Nakashima?" she asked, using Terra's last name. "Your eyes are all red." Terra dismissed this with a wave. Keiko entered and placed the tray down by the futon. "Um, Kuwabara and Yukina have returned from their vacation. I'm not sure if Yusuke mentioned, but Yunkina has some healing abilities. When we told her about you, she wanted to know if she could help."

Terra put her hand to her side. It was still terribly sensitive and the bandages needed changing. "What I really need is a bath," Terra mumbled. "But yes, her help would be appreciated."

"Oh, a bath, of course!" Keiko said, suddenly flustered. "I'll run the water in the ofuro so you can wash up. You must be dying. How could we forget about cleaning up," she said to herself. "You probably need to go to the bathroom too. Oh my goodness."

Terra stopped her rattling before it got too far, "I'm fine right now. I had sweated anything out I had in me. But, after Yunkia heals me some, and I can actually move, I would probably need to."

Keiko's neck burned with embarrassment. "I'll go get Yukina right away!"

Before Terra could tell her it was no hurry, she was off.

Terra ate her fill of rice, which wasn't much, before Keiko returned with whom Terra could only assume to be the healing ice apparition. Yukina's hair was the almost white, it was so pale, but there was a beautiful tint of blue green to it. Despite her soft, kind face, when Terra saw Yukina's deep red eyes it made her shrink back in fear. _Not all demons are bad,_ Terra repeated to herself. _Not all demons are bad._

"Please, lie back," Yukina requested. Her voice was like a bird's which spoke a sad song over seeing someone in such pain. Terra did as she was told. She shivered a bit when Yukina lifted her shirt. Her hands were cold, but Terra supposed that made sense. She cut the bandages off and placed her hand over the wound. "I won't be able to heal this fully," she said sadly. "But you should be able to move freely once I'm done. There will be a scar."

"It's fine. Your help is better than nothing," Terra said.

Slowly, what felt like ice made its way into her body. It was sharp and almost too cold against her hot skin, and just as slowly as the pain came it turned to a cooling comfort. When Yukina took her hands away Terra's breath was shallow. Every inhale was like a cold punch to her lungs.

Yukina seemed to know she had that effect from her healing. "The cold will go away soon. I'm sure a bath will help."

A part of Terra wanted to comfort the girl. She sounded too sad over someone else for Terra's normally compassionate heart to handle. But Terra merely nodded and tried to sit up. With Keiko's help, Terra was able to make her way to her feet. She guided her to the bathroom, Yukina following behind with Terra's toiletry kit.

The bathing room in Genkai's temple was like a miniature onsen with a place to wash down and another to soak. "Can you manage on your own?" Keiko asked.

"Yes," was her only reply.

The other two girls left her alone and Terra leaned against the wall. With slow deliberation Terra peeled off her clothes. Mindlessly, she washed herself, reveling in the feeling of having rid herself of all the grime she had lived in the last few days. Terra then made her way into the soaking tub.

Her lungs no longer felt frost bitten, but there was still a cold tingle to her wound. Beneath the distortion from the water, Terra watched her own hand trace over the scar. Her skin was red and raw, but together. She had seen her bandages; the wound had still been bleeding before Yukina healed it. The mark wrapped around to the small of her back and tapered in her front by her belly button. It was as if someone had tried to rip her in half. _Another scar I'll never lose, _she thought.

X

Terra had returned to her room on her own in the robe they had provided for her. After a moment of uncertainty, she opened Jeremy's bag. She dug out his layer of snacks in haste before reaching his clothes. She stared at it for a moment, the slightly crumpled but still folded black shirt he had worn only four days ago that lay on top, before grabbing it and bringing the garment to her face. It still smelled of him, like freshly cut grass and cinnamon. It was warm and comforting. She drank it in with deep inhales. Terra opened her own bag and took out fresh underwear, sports bra, and a pair of shorts. After those, she pulled Jeremy's shirt over her head.

She turned her head to look at Jeremy's now open pack. It lay open, the start of its contents strewn across the floor in front of it like an invitation to dig further. Terra put her nose to her shoulder and breathed in his scent. _I can do this_, she thought.

Just as Terra reached her hand out to the bag, the door to the room opened with a bit of a slam. Her head turned to the sound. Genkai stood at the entry way, her face set sterner than Terra remembered it. "Now that you're well enough to be moving about on your own, you might as well join us for lunch instead of getting special in bed treatment."

Terra was shocked at first, but was grateful for the distraction. "Of course."

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

Thanks _**Shiningheart_of_ThunderClan**_ again for the review. I'm glad you like my story so far.

I hope no one's getting bored. The first four chapters are moving pretty slowly with set up and background stuff, but it should pick up soon.

Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoy.


	4. Chapter 4

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**In the Wake of What Follows**

_**Chapter Four**_

They were all laughing. Yusuke, Keiko, Kuwabara, Yukina, even Genkai cracked a smile and a _ha_ at times. They were such close friends. Terra could see it in their eyes, how they looked at each other. It was a nice atmosphere to be around, despite the heavy heart she held that craved solitude.

"Anyway, we should be getting back to Tomio," Keiko said, her face radiant with a smile.

Kuwabara laughed and clapped Yusuke on the back. "I still can't believe you got a brat of your own, Urameshi. You're probably a terrible father. Right, Keiko?" Keiko shook her head in reply as the two boys continued to bicker.

Terra had figured Keiko and Yusuke were married sometime during the meal, but the fact they had a child was a bit of a surprise. They seemed so young, if not a few years older than her. If Terra couldn't see herself doing something by a certain age, it was always hard for her to imagine others doing it. She didn't let this surprise show though.

"Oh, Nakashima-san," Keiko said as a thought struck her. Terra wanted to interject because she disliked being called by her last name. She may have been part Japanese, but she was much more used to the American custom. She didn't, however, and just let Keiko continue. "We'll most likely be leaving tomorrow. If you're up for the trip, we'd be more than welcome to bringing you home first."

"Oh, um, of course. That's sounds," it sounded terrible. This temple felt as if it were set outside of society. The dread of facing normal life, former acquaintances, all of it again, was overwhelming. "That sounds fine."

X

After lunch, Keiko offered to show Terra around the temple, although it wasn't actually a temple. There were some shrines lining the steps up the mountain, but the building itself was more of a dojo and a home. It was much bigger than Terra had initially believed, having only visited three rooms on the same stretch of hall before Keiko showed her around. There were training rooms large enough to house two elephants, winding corridors that lasted for what seemed forever, a rock garden, a second bathing unit, a tea room, the dining room where they had eaten lunch, a kitchen, and a number of rooms that people stayed in during their visits.

"Is she rich?" Terra asked. It seemed like such a large place.

"Genkai was very frugal in her youth," Keiko explained. "And she still is. I think this place was her only indulgence. But she must have always had money. I don't really know."

Terra nodded.

"She's leaving the place to the lot of us. Kuwabara and Yukina have moved in permanently. Although, the commute is impossible, so he's not working anymore."

"Are they also married?" It was terribly obvious how much affection Kuwabara had towards Yukina, so Terra had wondered during lunch. But not everyone who lives together is married, even in Japan.

"Engaged," Keiko beamed. It was obviously something she was excited about. "It took a lot of convincing. Yukina cares a lot about Kuwabara, but demons live much longer than humans, and that worried her."

"What about you?" Keiko seemed surprised by the question. "Yusuke said he's a demon too."

"Well," she sighed, "his circumstances are, well, different. Neither of us know how long his natural life is going to be anymore. But, we probably would have gotten together had the change never happened. Love transcends the body, and that includes weird demon age things," she joked.

X

From her futon, Terra stared at Jeremy's open bag. The walk around the temple was more tiring to her injured body than she had been expecting. But as she rested, her eyes and thoughts stayed on the only thing she had left of him.

She found herself crawling again over to his bag. Terra carefully took out his clothes in turn, running her hands over the fabrics as if they were fragile glass. Beneath his clothes was his notebook. Jeremy wasn't a writer, and he didn't keep a journal, but his notebook was a part of him. Terra knew what she would find when she opened the tattered cover: quotes, rants, doodles, observations. Every once in a while there was a dated statement on how he was feeling. Her own name was there on almost every page.

Terra wanted to cry. She wanted the tears to swell and fall and for her breathing to be stuck in her chest. But she didn't. It was as if someone had carved her hollow of emotions and while the pain resonated inside, nothing came from it.

With an empty feeling, Terra set the notebook aside and continued through Jeremy's bag. His electronics were in there and a book. Terra was expecting all of those, but at the bottom of the bag was a small, wrapped box with a large ribbon tied around it. A miniature note card was attached. _To Terra. Happy Birthday._

Terra's birthday wasn't for another week, but it was the day their trip was originally supposed to end. About seven times Terra went to open the present, but her hand always jerked away before tugging the ribbon off. Finally, she put the little box in her own bag, along with his notebook, and let it be.

X

Terra woke up in the middle of the night. She had had a nightmare again. Sitting up, Terra rubbed her eyes until she was fully awake. She was never able to fall asleep again after a nightmare, so she figured she might as well wake up. When she took her hands away, the darkness seemed soft as the moonlight shinned through her window. Everything outside her window was blurry since she had taken out her contacts before falling asleep.

Instead of putting them back in, Terra opened a side pouch of her own bag and put on her glasses. With a yawn, Terra leaned back, stretching through the pain in her side. Looking outside her window, the moon seemed too big. Being as awake as she was, Terra figured she might get a better look. She had never been so high up on a mountain at night. A part of her didn't think this was a smart idea as she left her room and headed to the exit, but she didn't care. What reason did she have to be careful, anyway?

The night air hit her with a chill. It was still quite warm out, but the breeze was just enough.

She was disappointed though when she couldn't easily see the stars. There wasn't enough stretch between the lip of the roof and the cover of the trees to really soak it in. Looking over the placement of a statue near the entrance and the roof, Terra put a hand to her wound in quiet contemplation. _I can climb that,_ she thought.

Terra wasn't very strong in her arms, but her legs had power and she was a fairly good climber by pushing herself up. It took more effort than she expected, but that's exactly what she did. After climbing to the top of the statue on the ground, Terra was able to just grasp the edge of the roof. With one heave and swing, she was able to get her right leg up. Placing her foot down, she pushed herself up until her upper body cleared. From there it was a scramble to get her second leg over, but she did it.

Panting heavily, Terra rolled onto her back on the tiled roof. A small laugh escaped through the pants at the thought of what she just did. Her side throbbed from the excursion, but she didn't mind the dull ache. It meant nothing in comparison to the greater pains she felt lingering in her heart. Still, for a moment, it was all forgotten as she looked upon the stars.

Never had she seen them so bright, so alive in their shinning.

For hours Terra just lay there basking in the pale light of the stars and moon as the cool mountain breeze battled the summer heat. Terra didn't have some cheesy fascination with the stars. She normally ignored them, or got bored with them. She never left her room when her father had called to her saying there was going to be a meteor shower or a lunar eclipse. She didn't really care. But tonight was different. Her mind was full of death and loss and every reference ever that could make it hurt less. And, somehow, looking at the vast sky and knowing how far away those stars were and yet how bright they shined, it make her feel calm.

Then something disturbed that.

Terra sat up in a bolt, her side screaming from the sudden movement. She had heard something, she was sure of it. The bad feeling that followed Terra when, what she could only assume meant, a demon was nearby ran down her spine and didn't leave. Fear gripped her, clutching at her stomach and sending a wave of nausea through her.

Then, as quickly as it came, it passed. Not the bad feeling, but the fear. _Just take me,_ she plead like a prayer to the stars. Terra closed her eyes to the moonlight and waited. _Just take me._ She waited silently in the dark for something, _anything_, to happen. But nothing did. And then the bad feeling passed.

When she opened her eyes, the beginning of morning peaked over the horizon.

"It was a worth a shot," she muttered.

X

Terra pulled on a shirt of her own and a pair of shorts she could really move in. Her contacts were in and she felt very refreshed. After her late night adventure, the need to not sit around in her room like a mop had taken over.

It was still very early, the sun hadn't finished rising. Terra headed back out to the front porch and let the early morning rays soak her skin. The timing seemed appropriate as Terra began her sun salutation.

She didn't get through very many rotations of the yoga piece before Genkai's voice broke her concentration. "See you're feeling better. Another quick healer, I see."

In downward dog, Terra shook her head. "I chop that all up to Yukina," she replied and swooped down into cobra and winced. "This feels like I'm pulling my muscle apart fiber by fiber."

"Then why do you do it?" she asked, obviously amused.

"It's a distraction."

Genkai nodded in understanding and continued to watch in silence. After a tenth round, Terra rolled onto her back and let her muscles melt into the floor.

"You're not very strong, are you?" Genkai asked, unimpressed by Terra's exercise.

"Nope." After a few moments, Terra stood. "I should get inside. Probably already burned my skin."

X

Terra changed again into fresh clothes. She was tempted to wear another of Jeremy's shirts, but settled for just taking in his scent for a minute.

Yukina knocked at the door and opened it. Despite Yukina's soft features and gentle nature, every time Terra saw her red eyes, something inside her tightened. Blue hair excluded, Terra had known people with blue hair, it was the red eyes that identified Yukina as being something else. Like the white pupils and pale yellow eyes on the demons that had attacked her, the deep blood red of Yukina's eyes were unsettling and just inhuman. Terra tried to push those feelings away. Yukina was nice. She had healed her.

"If you'd like to join us for breakfast, it's ready," she said with a smile.

Terra nodded and followed the apparition out.

At the dining area, Terra picked at her food while the others chatted around her. Keiko told her they were planning on leaving soon after the meal, which Terra was okay with.

When she went back to her room she packed her bag carefully, Jeremy's present and notebook tucked safe inside. Yusuke popped in at one point, telling them they were about to head out.

"I'll carry your bags if you need me to," he offered.

Terra slung her own pack over her shoulder. The weight was a little much for her side, especially after the all the climbing and yoga she had done. _Stupid decision_, she thought.

"Can you take those two," she asked.

"No prob." Yusuke smiled. Although Terra was certain Yusuke would have no problem carrying the two bags, she could read an underlying annoyance at the chore. Keiko had probably made him offer his assistance.

The pair made their way to the front porch, the sun now beating down fully. Terra stood to the side as Keiko and Yukina gave each other long goodbyes and the boys ruff housed a bit. Genkai came out and stood next to her.

She wasn't sure what made her say it. She wasn't even sure what made her think it. But after taking one last pan of the forest edge and watching the two couples talk, Terra almost didn't want to leave.

"Do you think it would be okay if I came back?" she asked Genkai.

"Do you want to train?" she replied.

"Train what?"

Genkai snorted. "You have spirit awareness, which indicates high spirit levels. And, considering your circumstances of dying to get there, you may be able to tap into some power not unlike that of Yusuke's and Kuwabara's."

"Me?" The idea sounded ridiculous. "I'm not a fighter, I'm pathetic," Terra scoffed.

"That may be. But if you come back, I'm training you." Her words were like a challenge.

Terra looked down at the old lady. She seemed very matter of fact of the situation, which only made Terra's own doubts greater. Terra didn't know what she wanted out of anything anymore.

Without another word, Genkai went over to the others. Terra looked down the winding steps that led to the bottom of the mountain and out of the forest.

What a long journey she had coming.

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

Gah! I keep finding the most random typos on my older posts. I'm really sorry about them. I have like, extra words and shit like I never learned how to use the backspace properly or something.

Anywho, the story should _hopefully_ pick up in the next chapter.

Also, I'm writing as much as I can now, but I go back to school on Sunday and no promises on how often I get around to writing. So, sorry.

But, I'd like to thank _**Shiningheart_of_ThunderClan**_ for the continued reviews. I'm glad you're liking and reading my story. The reviews mean a lot.

Thanks all for reading.


	5. Chapter 5

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**In the Wake of What Follows**

_**Chapter Five**_

It was snowing the day Terra returned. The temple looked so different in the overcast with a light cover of white coating the rooftop.

Before Terra reached the front door, Genkai and Kuwabara had come out for a welcome.

"Whoa, Terra, you cut your hair!" were Kuwabara's first words.

Terra put a hand up and ruffled the back of her head. Her hair had always been pretty short, reaching just below her chin when they had first met, but recently Terra chopped it all off. Now it was closer to Kuwabara's length.

"Yeah, well," was Terra's only response.

"You lost weight," Genkai remarked. It wasn't in that congratulatory way most people would give the comment, but with bitter distain, accusatory even. "I wasn't expecting you to come back weaker," she snapped.

"Sorry," Terra mumbled.

It seemed odd that they talked to her as if they had always known her. But, at the same time, Terra felt almost at home here. She was glad for the lack of awkwardness between them.

"Ah, don't listen to Genkai. You look great!"

Terra rolled her eyes at the guy. Last time, she hadn't had a chance to really talk to him, but he seemed nice enough, if not a bit of a goof.

She walked past the guy, who towered a good foot taller than her, and into the temple. "Same room?" she asked them.

"Oh, uh, noooooo," Kuwabara said nervously, rushing over to Terra's side.

"Why?"

"Hiei came back a couple days ago and took that one."

The name sounded familiar, and Terra had to think back to Yusuke's story before remembering. "The short one with the third eye?"

"I wouldn't let him hear you call him short," Kuwabara laughed. "Had we known you were coming I would have made sure you got a room away from him, but we've been preparing for the wedding." He gushed those last words like a love sick fan girl. It was quite humorous coming from such a tall and strong looking guy. "And since everyone's planning on coming up soon, we've prepared all the rooms, and, well, I think the only free one is next to the pipsqueak."

"That's fine," Terra said, shrugging her backpack higher on her shoulders and headed down the hallway. "Living next to the guy isn't going to kill me."

Just as the words left her mouth, Terra stopped in her tracks. They had been walking down the hall where her room had been, and a sudden wave of _something _hit her. Such fierce, dark energy emanated from the room she had once stayed in. Terra's eyes widen in sudden panic.

"Yeah," Kuwabara said, noticing the reaction. "Which is why he was put so far away from the rest of us."

Genkai snorted from behind the tall guy. "Well, it's probably a good thing. You're going to have to get used to such energies and learn not to freeze up upon sensing them. Now put your bag in your room and let's start your training."

Terra turned around and looked at the old woman like she was crazy. "Now? I just got here. I'm tired." The look in Genkai's eyes made her turn back around and head to the room just past the dark aura.

"All the better," the crone laughed. "You'll get to where I want you quicker."

X

While Genkai wasn't lying, Terra wasn't thankful for what she wanted. Playing off of what she already knew of Terra's strength, Genkai shouted again at what seemed like the hundredth round of a high impact yoga sequence.

If Terra was tired when she had gotten in, she was dead now. Her muscles gave out underneath her and Terra collapsed onto her stomach, sprawling herself on the wooden floor.

"Hmph. Is that all you got?"

A gargling sound and a bit of a moan was all Terra could muster.

"Now sit up," Genkai instructed.

With strained movement, Terra somehow managed to get herself into a sitting position.

"Calm your mind, rid yourself of thought."

Normally, this would be an impossible task for Terra. She was the type to think in layers, songs, images, imagined conversations, and her own top layer of thoughts all running through her brain at the same moment in time. This made her most thoughtless moments still full of thought. However, Genkai had exhausted her to the point beyond thought. She was too tired to even think. This had been Genkai's goal from the beginning.

"Close your eyes and follow my voice. And don't you _dare _fall asleep," she barked. In a softer voice, like a hypnotist, she continued. "Ignore the ache of your muscles. That's your body. Your body doesn't matter. Strip away the feeling of the floor beneath you, your clothes on your skin, the heat of your body. Keep your breath even. Good. Don't focus on my voice, just listen.

"Now find that spot in your torso where you can feel your emotions resting. For some it's in the rib cage, for others it's in the stomach." For Terra, it was just between her breastbones. It was as if there was a glowing light inside her that she could feel bounce against the surrounding darkness. "That's your spirit energy. Now you know where to find it. Become familiar with it and how it feels. Explore your spirit energy. It is something alive within you that you can manipulate, but only if you truly know what it is."

Terra did her best to "become familiar" with her energy. It was weird trying to put any of into terms. It was weirder when Genkai began giving her instruction to stretch the energy or focus it in her hands, or mold it in any way.

"It doesn't want t-" Terra began to protest, but was cut off by a slap on the back of the head.

"No talking!"

Terra went back to her energy for a moment before it all ran cold and a gasp escaped her lips. Before she could stop it, wave thoughts came flooding into her mind, clouding her and blocking the connection she had made to her energy.

When Genkai spoke, it wasn't to her.

"Go away. You're energy's so angry it knocked out all the work we've been doing."

There was no response for a few seconds and Terra found herself tensing up even more.

"Hn. Pathetic."

Terra's eyes opened, knowing the insult was towards her. She immediately regretted the decision. His eyes were a bright red that held so much hostility, Terra shrunk back into herself and tried her best to not quiver.

Genkai huffed angrily at the demon and then turned back to Terra. "Well now that you've completely lost it, you might as well go clean up before dinner."

Terra gratefully got to her feet, no matter how weak her legs felt at the moment, and left the room with quick steps.

"Why are you training _that_?" Hiei asked. "Even Yusuke was stronger when you took him in."

Genkai looked up at the demon for a moment before shaking her head. "She may not have a strong body, but she has a strong will. Now you better have a good reason for interrupting me."

X

Terra didn't speak at dinner. When Yusuke (he and Keiko had arrived sometime during her training) teased over Genkai's tough training, she merely grunted in response. Genkai once or twice snapped at Terra to eat more, but that was the extent of her in conversation. No one seemed to try to get her talk, to smile, to be friendly.

This was the Terra they knew. Broken, distant, quiet. They weren't waiting for the old Terra to return. They weren't hoping, during every conversation, she would become giddy and hyper. No one was expecting her to be funny or kind. Nobody was looking out for her old habits as a telltale sign she was okay. She could be her broken self around these people because they weren't expecting anything else. That, she supposed, was the biggest reason she returned.

None of them had known her from before.

After excusing herself, Genkai finally satisfied with how much she ate, Terra made her way back to her room.

Hiei hadn't joined them for dinner, which Terra had been thankful for. But his energy was unmistakable as she passed it. It sent shivers down her spine. The refuge of her room was little help as his energy could pass the walls.

Terra pushed her futon on the farthest side of her small room and began unpacking. She hadn't brought much with her. It was all much the same things she had last time. Necessities, clothes she could move well in, along with more warm clothes for the winter she hadn't needed on her summer hike. Terra also brought along Jeremy's notebook, some books, and her ipod. Despite it being an old temple, Genkai had the rooms fitted with lights, so Terra figured there must be wall plugs somewhere. She was right on that assumption, finding a socket in one of the corners.

For now, she didn't need the music. Her body was so tired sleep came easily, at least at first. In her dreams, Terra wasn't haunted by her usual nightmare. This one was plagued with eyes as bright as burning coal.

Terra fought to wake up, and when she did the anger of Hiei's energy could still be felt in the room next door._ I already have hard enough time sleeping_, Terra thought bitterly. _How am I ever going sleep with him next door?_ A part of her wanted to throw something at the wall, but another feared what the demon would do. Terra looked at the watch she had attached to her bag and groaned. It was only one in the morning.

Terra tugged a sweater on and slipped into a pair of shoes. Her urge to get away from the dark energy was greater than her love of beds and being warm. Terra headed outside and stared at the landscape before her. With half the trees bare, the forest looked more menacing that it had that summer.

The roof of the temple was still coated in a thin layer of snow, but that didn't stop Terra from climbing up. She wiped a spot clear for herself and sat. This time she didn't look at the stars. Terra didn't look at anything. Her eyes fixed on the horizon and she let the sight in without really seeing until the sun began to peak its way into the morning.

X

"Up," was Genkai's sole command. With it, she jumped from her spot next to Terra and landed on the top of a beam six feet tall. Next to it stood another beam of the same height. It was obvious of what she wanted Terra to do.

"Sorry, but I don't have jumping super powers."

Genkai glared at the girl for a moment, but Terra merely stared back unblinkingly. With a "Humph" of dissatisfaction, Genkai jumped back down. With a quick slice of her hand against the wood, the beam split in two. The top of it now stood three feet off the ground, a manageable height for Terra to reach. The top of the beam wasn't even big enough for one foot, but in following Genkai's stance Terra balanced on the ball of her left foot, bringing the right up to her knee and resting her hands together on her abdomen.

After the initial wobble, Terra was able to stand there easily for quite some time.

"You do this well," Genkai mused.

"I should hope so," Terra said with a bit of a smirk. "Let's see if I can still do this," she muttered to herself.

Terra eyed the space between her and Genkai's beam and figured she had enough room. Coming down onto her full foot for a moment, she braced her standing leg and brought her other one out a bit. With a snap onto the ball of her foot, Terra kicked her other leg around once, twice, before having to steady herself.

Genkai looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Ballet," Terra explained. "Since I was three. Haven't danced in a long while, though."

"Well that explains why your legs are so much stronger than your arms," Genkai said. "Now shut up and meditate."

X

During Terra's lunch break, she didn't have a lot of time to actually eat. Genkai barraged her with a series of questions trying to patch together exactly how much training she's gotten before and where her strengths and weakness lie.

It had been a while since Terra had talked about these things. She had given up on her dreams ever since her heart stopped over two years ago, but for a long time Terra had trained to be an actor. She may not be physically strong, but Terra had immense control over her body and her breath. Terra explained the work she did in her movement classes to Genkai in detail.

"Well," Genkai said with a nod once Terra had finished. "I can certainly use that to my advantage."

Somehow, this worried Terra more than it should have. Genkai was proving to be as strict as Yusuke's stories had promised.

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

I will thank you every time you review, so no complaining. =P

Thank you _**Shiningheart_of_ThunderClan**_, _**kurt**_, and my _**anon**_ for the reviews. It makes me feel as giddy as a school girl over some slick pop idol to know people are reading and liking my stories.

Also, I'm weird.

Hope you enjoy!


	6. Chapter 6

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**In the Wake of What Follows**

_**Chapter Six**_

As Terra found out later, Yusuke and Keiko had come up on the day she had arrived in order to help Kuwabara and Yukina with the wedding in four weeks' time. As the days went by, the temple became more lavished with decorations. It seemed very out of place to see every time she went training with Genkai.

"I would have come later had I known the wedding was now," Terra said as she and the old woman headed for their midday meal. "Kuwabara's exuberant happiness is starting to leave a bitter taste in my mouth."

Genkai snorted in amusement. "Well I have to admit I'm glad for the timing. You're giving me a good excuse to get away from him, too."

Genkai had been teaching Terra different styles of martial arts over the past week. At first, Terra was worried because it was the closest thing to fighting she had ever done. But the transition from yoga and dance to tae kwan do, and then other forms, was seamless. Much of it was like a dance in itself. What was really difficult was the physical labor Genkai had Terra performing in order to increase her strength. Never had her arms been so sore.

Hardly able to control the spasms in her arms, Terra shakily served Genkai and herself a bowl of rice and shrimp tempura that had been made the night before. She set the plates down with a slight clatter and picked up her chopsticks. _It's like fucking Kill Bill_, she thought, not for the first time.

"You haven't been sleeping," Genkai remarked.

Terra shook her head. "It's kind of hard with Hiei's energy trying to choke me every night."

Genkai snarled at the thought. "If he doesn't calm down soon he's going to go crazy."

"This is him sane?" Terra asked dully. "What happened to him anyway?"

Over the week she's been here Terra had seen Hiei all of twice. The first time she was too mesmerized by his eyes to take anything in. The second was only the night before. Terra had been heading towards the baths to wash up and the door opened before she reached it. Hiei stood there just out of a bath himself, towel in his hair and no shirt on. While his bored expression turned into a glare in a matter of seconds, Terra somehow managed to collect herself long enough to see.

His torso had been covered in scars, although she hadn't time to take those in before he passed her. What caught her eye in that short time were the red marks that couldn't have been very old glowering at her from the heat of the bath.

"A lover's quarrel," Genkai mused with a hint of laughter on her tongue.

To this Terra could only roll her eyes and continue eating. They sat in silence for a moment or two as Genkai took a long drink of her tea.

"Your endurance has improved," Genkai said calmly. The compliment, however, did not go unnoticed by Terra. Genkai rarely said anything positive. "You're improving quickly."

"Thanks?" Terra said, uncertain as how she was supposed to take the old woman's words.

"I'm going to have to start pushing you harder."

"Harder?" Terra's face fell. "I didn't know there was such a thing."

Genkai smirked and took up her chopsticks again.

Terra had to admit she was surprised herself how quickly she was improving. Exercise had never been a strong point for her, but what she was learning here just felt natural, despite the extremes Genkai pushed it to. It had only been a week, and while she was nowhere near mastering even one technique, if you put her in a fight with another human with more training, she might have stood a chance.

While she was proud of herself for the achievement, it still unnerved her. She didn't think people were supposed to grow this quickly. Terra reasoned it to be her new found spirit energy. Though she was still unable to mold it into a force outside of her body, during meditation she had found a way for it to course through her and not only rest in a pocket in her chest. This, she figured, lead to the higher endurance and quick progression.

"Why do you want to train me?" Terra asked after setting down her chopsticks. "You seem hell bent on making me as strong as possible as quickly as possible. It's not like I'm training _for _anything, right?"

"Why did you return?" she countered. Genkai gave Terra a stern look, their gazes locking for some time. "We all have our reasons." Genkai took their plates and put them in the sink before Terra could protest. "Now back to training."

X

On most days, Terra was pushed until her body began to cry of its own invention and then pushed some more. On others her muscles would be so sore from the previous day's treatment that she could hardly move. On those days Genkai worked with her solely on her spirit energy, which wasn't going as well. A second week of training and Terra still couldn't identify energies or mold it outside of herself. The most she could muster was assuming a certain energy was Hiei's because it was the only one that scared her. Terra was sure had there been other strong, angry demons at the temple, she wouldn't have been able to tell anyone apart.

"It's only been two weeks," Terra complained after one of Genkai's rants. "Isn't this stuff supposed to take years? At least months. I mean, give me a break!"

"You're beginning to sound like Yusuke," the woman barked. "Even Kuwabara had managed his spirit sword by the time he was physically your level."

"Kuwabara is so much more naturally spiritually aware than I am and it took him months-"

"It took Kuwabara until he was up against a real threat with less training than you, and then he did it in minutes!" she snapped.

"Then you must be mistaken as to what physical level I'm at, because I'm pretty sure I'm still weaker than Yusuke's kid!"

While this was an obvious exaguration, Terra was certain Tomio would be stronger than her as soon as he was old enough to fight. Keiko had brought her son up that day, not being able to leave him at her mother's any longer. Tomio was only one but you could already tell he was going to be strong.

As they continued to yell at each other, Yusuke and Kuwabara came to watch. It was amusing to see Genkai so riled up and not at them.

"And _I _keep telling _you_ that it doesn't _want_ to!" Terra screamed, referring to her spirit energy and her inability to mold it physically.

"Maybe Terra's energy isn't meant for fighting," Kuwabara said. He hadn't meant to say it out loud, but as soon as he did Genkai's attention turned to the two boys.

"Nice going, dumbass," Yusuke said, hitting Kuwabara on the arm.

"Spirit energy," Genkai began, a dangerous undercurrent to her words, "is just that, energy. We are able to mold that energy into a physical reality and with that, fight. If not that, what do you suppose her energy can be used as?" Genkai quirked her eyebrow at the guys and glared.

Kuwabara began to spew random words from nerves as tension rose in the air.

"Look," Terra said, her voice soft and defeated. "I know you think I'm strong enough, but I'm not. I'm simply not ready."

Genkai shook her head. "I can feel your energy, kid, and it's right beneath the surface."

"Whatever," Terra mumbled. Without waiting to be excused, she made her way past the two boys and headed to her room.

Later, Kuwabara would tell her Genkai was right. He could feel Terra's energy growing stronger every day. While still not strong enough to win against even a low D class demon, she was getting there rapidly. "It's like your brimming with energy," he said, "and it's just about to spill over." Terra wanted to ignore his words. She felt like a failure, and as much as she tried to rationalize she hadn't been training for very long, that feeling wouldn't shake. "You'll get there, promise."

X

Terra woke up around four the next morning. After a few tries of closing her eyes and waiting, she sighed and sat up. _I miss sleep_, she thought as she put her contacts in.

After her fight with Genkai the day before, Terra was stuck in a state of self-loathing. With tired movement Terra rummaged through her things to find her iPod. She clipped her headphones over her ears and let the music drown her sorrows. Terra simply lied on her bed for an hour listening to music.

But, as always, her body couldn't keep still.

Terra grabbed the armband case she had for her iPod and headed to the dojo room that had been her inhabitance the last two weeks. It took a while for Terra to find the right song, she was probably just procrastinating, but she settled for an instrumental piece. She waited a few moments just letting the mild tempo to soak in. And then she began to dance.

It was choppy and sloppy and full of pauses. She hadn't really danced in almost four years. But her body remembered. Each move came with little hesitance, building moment and confidence as the song sped and swelled. As the music slowed, Terra drew her leg up into a high arabesque and held it for a few beats.

A chill ran down her spine and her balance faltered. With a snap she was standing, facing the doorway with wide eyes. Her heart beat wildly in her chest as she stared at Hiei like a deer in headlights. Terra tried to tell herself that demons weren't bad, that he was a friend of Yusuke's and everyone at the temple, but it didn't help calm her. His energy felt so dangerous.

Without looking at her, Hiei walked to the back of the room and opened one of the equipment closets. He eyed the contents for a moment before pulling out a long pole and tossed it over to Terra. She clamored to catch it, still confused and weary of his presence.

"What are you," she began to ask, but his glare shut her up.

"Genkai's sick," he said. "She asked me to train you today. Don't be mistaken, I'm only doing this because I owe the old crone." His voice wasn't so deep, but it gave the effect you were listening to someone much stronger than he looked. His words were smooth and even, but somehow light. Were she only listening and not seeing, he would have sounded bored, but the expression on Hiei's face was that of cold displeasure. "Now take that infernal contraption out of your ears and prepare yourself."

In a stunned silence, Terra took off her iPod and set it in one of the corners. When she turned back to Hiei, he held another pole in his own hands. They were each about her own height with painted rings on equal distance from each end. Terra looked between her pole and Hiei, confusion evident on her face.

"Now what?" she asked.

"Hn." The dark haired demon took a stance and smirked. Terra gulped in fear. "Now we spar."

X

Terra collapsed to the ground, biting back a scream. Her leg was searing in pain from Hiei's latest swipe at her.

"Pathetic," he sneered, his red eyes blazing with malice.

"Just because you could kill me with one swipe of that," Terra muttered. Hiei didn't make a response. Terra pressed herself up onto her elbows and stayed there, too tired and bruised to continue. "Can we call it lunch?"

"Get up," he said, tossing her pole back to her. She caught it with one arm but didn't move to stand. "Now." When Terra still didn't move, Hiei squatted so that their eyes were level. They stayed that way studying each other for what could have been forever. His fire red eyes making knots in her stomach and his blue-black hair that fell over his face, all screaming at her to run, he's not human. Yet she couldn't move. "You may be weak, but I don't trust you," he finally said and then stood. He tossed his own pole to the side and let it clatter against the wood floor.

"That's fine," she responded from her spot on the floor, "because I don't trust you either."

He didn't even give her the grace of a reaction before walking out the door.

X

Terra knelt by Genkai's side after eating a hasty lunch. She seemed the same, but Terra could tell her breathing was ragged at times.

"Really? Hiei? Not Yusuke or anyone else?"

The old woman smirked and took a sip of her tea. "I figured it would teach you not to argue with me," she laughed.

"Very funny," Terra said bitterly, rolling her eyes. "The bruises are already starting to form and I have another session to go to in a half an hour."

"He was being soft on you," she assured, although it did nothing to make Terra feel better.

"Why do you expect so much from me, granny?" Sometime over the past two weeks she had picked that up from Yusuke, calling Genkai granny.

"I expect it because it's there." Terra mulled that line over in her head a few times before Genkai continued. "Hiei thinks you're growing too fast, but you're not. You've had the foundation for what I've been teaching you for a long time and your spirit energy has been increasing naturally since you came back to life, although at a gentle incline. As soon as you became aware of it, it began to grow more. What Hiei doesn't see is how much you push yourself. I would say you're harder on yourself than anyone I've ever trained."

"I don't like being weak," Terra said, more to herself than anything else.

"You're becoming stronger at the same rate Yusuke did, only you're starting further behind, so you have further to go." Genkai took another drink from her tea and didn't say more on the matter.

The two sat in silence until Terra had to go for another round of Hiei's gruesome training.

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

So, I'm leaving for school tomorrow and that may deeply hinder how often I'm able to write. So, sorry in advance.

However, I hope everyone enjoys it enough for the waiting. I personally am having a fantastic time writing this. I've never had a story flow so naturally before, and I don't want to stop writing it. So, yeah.

Thanks _**Shiningheart_of_ThunderClan**_ for all the reviews. It's awesome to know you're invested.

Thanks for reading.


	7. Chapter 7

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**In the Wake of What Follows**

_**Chapter Seven**_

Terra groggily looked at her clock and moaned. It was 1:38 in the morning and Terra couldn't sleep, but not for her normal reasons. The few precious minutes she had dozed were free of nightmares and Hiei's aura, although still angry, was at least something she could get used to when around it for a long enough period of time. What kept her awake this night was the nonstop crying of one Urameshi baby. She couldn't even drown it out with her music.

She knew Keiko was doing all she could at the moment to calm her son, but Terra also knew there were some nights that nothing worked. One of Terra's high school friends had been a nanny, and oh the horror stories that came with it.

With a groan, Terra pushed her glasses onto her face and bundled herself in warmer clothes and a blanket. Her steps shuffled across the wood floor as she made her way outside. The noise was less prominent outside and for almost a minute Terra contemplated falling asleep on the porch. The thought of someone finding her like that in the morning turned her mind against the idea, however.

Not wanting to go inside, Terra climbed to the roof again. There wasn't much snow, but Terra lied her blanket down so she could use the layer of fluff as a cushion. For a while Terra just stared out into the distance, her eyes threatening to close more than once. Sleep had been trying its best to creep up at her when a chill went down her spine that had nothing to do with the winter air. The feeling woke her up quick enough.

"Hiei?" she questioned from her seat on the roof.

"You can differentiate energies now?" he asked, his skeptic voice coming from behind her.

She paused for a moment, not realizing he knew that much about her training. Terra shook her head and kept her gaze fixed outward. "No, but yours scares me and you like high places, so it was a simple conclusion to make," she said in earnest.

She looked back at the sound of footsteps nearing. With each crunch of snow came a slight sizzle. "You're melting the snow." She had sounded more confused than she meant to.

"I _am_ a fire apparition," he said, sounding annoyed at her utter stupidity.

This only caused for Terra to feel more confused. She had always felt cold from his energy. However, as he came and stood next to where she sat, Terra could feel a slight heat radiating from him. Rather than dwelling on it, Terra shook her head and asked him why he was here.

"Same as you."

"The baby?"

He didn't respond, so she assumed she was right. Terra looked back out onto the horizon. _Well this is awkward,_ she thought. After everything he had put her through that day, she hadn't been expecting to have to share her roof time with the silent maniac. Terra tried to ignore his presence as best as possible. It was hard to do when there was such warmth heating only one side of her body and the other wanted to shiver.

"What's on your face?" he asked after some time.

This question threw her off. "My glasses?" Terra reached up and pushed them higher up on the bridge of her nose. She looked up at the demon with a furrowed brow. He looked down at her with a similar expression, only more subtle in the features. "I can't see without them. Even your face would be a total blur from this distance." He continued to stare without word making Terra squirm under his gaze. "I usually wear my contacts, but it's not good to sleep in them, so I take them out at night."

Hiei looked back at the horizon with a "Hmph."

Despite her nerves at his sheer existence, Terra figured if there was ever a time she could ask Hiei a question, it was now.

"You must care about them," she said, not looking at him. "Whoever it was that gave you those cuts."

Hiei growled in response, resulting in a flinch from Terra.

"Sorry," she said.

"Why do you say that?" he asked, the growl still in his voice.

"What, sorry?"

"That I must have cared about them?"

Terra racked her brain for her reasoning. She had had it only moments before. With a long exhale, Terra leaned her head onto her bent knees. Terra gave a little shrug before responding, as if to say her word didn't mean anything. "If what Yusuke says is true, you're one of the strongest demons out there. So, you're not likely to be wounded that easily. But, from the few seconds I saw them, it looked like you had tried to get them healed, so they must have been pretty bad. And someone like you wouldn't go get wounds you got in a real battle healed if you could help it. You'd rather prove yourself stronger than that. So, I figured you let whoever do that do it." She left it at that, assuming Hiei would bite her head off is she related Genkai calling it a lover's quarrel. But then something struck her. "Why'd you put it into the past tense? Have cared."

Terra looked up at Hiei to find him glaring at the night sky.

"She's dead," he seethed.

"Oh," she said, looking away. The silence between them became heavy. "I try not to care anymore," Terra said after a while. "Death follows me. Every one I've ever cared about is gone, so I try not to care anymore."

It felt wrong to admit it, like it was some cheesy new year's resolution she had been embarrassed to tell anyone. It felt wrong because she knew you couldn't just make a conscious decision to not care about people. Caring isn't something you can turn off with a switch, but turn it off she tried.

It startled Terra a bit when Hiei sat down next to her. She chanced a look at him, one leg bent with his arm resting on it, the other propping him up in his seat. His eyes stayed on the horizon though, like hers had when she talked to him.

"Then you must find this wedding business as foolish as I do, then," he said.

Her eyes trailed back out to the distance as she reached a hand to the front of her neck. Terra had worn a silver chain to bed every night, the charm a token from Jeremy, her last birthday present in fact. During the day she put it away not wanting it to get damaged from her training. As Terra toyed with the necklace she could feel the charm nudge against her chest.

"No," she said softly. "I don't find marriage foolish at all."

"Why?"

To someone who knew Hiei better, the question would have sounded surprised. Terra didn't know Hiei well enough to tell the difference, here merely seemed cool and calculating to her ears.

"It's purely idealistic," she said as she continued to play with her necklace. "I know most marriages don't work out well. Divorce, abuse, all those fun things." Terra sighed. "But, I can't imagine anything greater than having someone love you so much that they want to spend the rest of their life with you. And, more than that prove it to the world." Terra let go of her chain before saying the next part. "'Til death do us part."

Terra clasped her hands together in front of her and closed her eyes. Tears threatened to spill at the corner of her eyes. It was harder to think about than she had expected.

"Pure fantasy," she said after collecting herself. "I bet you're extra against this wedding because it's Yukina." Based on the sudden wave of cold that washed over her, Terra assumed that was the wrong thing to say. "Well, you're related, right? I thought that was obvious."

"Obvious?" he growled. Terra could practically feel his glare on her back. She didn't dare look his way.

"Blue hair, red eyes, albeit different shades entirely. The way she looks at you, the way you look at her. It's different from the way either of you look at anyone else. And it's obviously not romantic, so family. Didn't realize it was taboo."

"She's not supposed to know."

At that she had to look at Hiei with an eyebrow raised. "Well she does."

His eyes bore into hers like poker rods. Suddenly she was as frozen as when she first felt his energy.

"Where do you get your information," he demanded in a tone that didn't betray his anger the way his eyes did.

For a second, it was all Terra could do to breath. "Nowhere," she finally got out. "I'm no Sherlock Holmes, but I'm just observant and I read people well."

"I don't believe that."

"Well, you don't have to," Terra said, annoyance lacing her words.

They sat there in silence for a minute as Terra tried her best to shake the cold that had rooted itself inside her and Hiei glared daggers into her back.

"No one's that observant unless it's for their livelihood."

"It was, sort of," Terra said. Again she looked back at the demon whose bright red eyes still held their malice, demanding an explanation to her words. "I was training to be an actor practically all my life. An actor needs to be able to take in everything they see and feel and store it away. If you're not aware of the way things are you can't very well portray it realistically for an audience to believe, can you? Then when I transferred to Sophia I became a psychology major. So, I'm pretty good at understanding people from an empathetic and a text book point of view."

Talking about her past left Terra with a bitter taste in her mouth.

"You sound like a spy."

Terra wasn't expecting such an absurd statement to come out Hiei's mouth. She tried to suppress her initial reaction, but the feeling built until she let the sounds out. Such amusement lightened her face as her shoulders heaved in fits of laughter that Hiei didn't know how to react. Terra hadn't so much as smiled since coming to the Temple.

"That is the _stupidest_ thing I have ever heard," Terra near wheezed. She wiped tears from her eyes while trying to put her breathing back to normal. "What a great idea. Let's take the weakest, most emotionally unstable girl we can find and have her infiltrate a temple where a bunch of super human men reside that could kill her in a second so she can, what? I don't even think there's something anyone would want to know!" Terra laughed again before calming herself.

His expression, however, never changed.

A dull throbbing started by Terra's temples and she groaned, pressing her palms into her eyes. "Great, and now I have a head ache."

Hiei growled and stood up. "I still don't trust you," he snapped. Then before Terra could take her hands away from her eyes, he was gone.

With a sigh and a long look into the distance, Terra decided she should go back inside and at least try to get some sleep before the morning broke.

X

Terra was grateful that Genkai was back to training her the next day. After last night she wanted to pretend all conversation with Hiei never happened and not have to see him for a while. This wish was granted. Terra and Hiei didn't cross paths for the whole next week, but by then Terra had bigger things to worry about. The guests that were staying at the temple for the wedding were beginning to arrive.

Terra was never very good at social situations. One on one or a small group of close friends, fine, but anything bigger than five people and she got lost. Also being the one person that nobody else knows didn't help. She made herself as scarce as possible during the day, thankful that training took up most of it. But she no longer ventured out when she couldn't sleep and she ate most meals in her room. It was mostly all Kuwabara's family that came so early. Another two people, whom Terra was able to identify as Boton and Koenma from Yusuke's stories, arrived three days before. The temple was getting crowded and Terra didn't like it. They brought too much of the outside world she had been trying to escape with them.

However, in order to escape _them_, Terra found herself taking a day off of training to go into the town.

Terra left early the morning before the wedding with only a near empty backpack, her charm around her neck, and her iPod in her ears. The journey to the bottom of the mountain was about thirty minutes in itself, and then she made her way to the train station. The music helped her feel normal about the situation. She had only been away from civilian life for a month, but it was long enough.

After Jeremy and Conner's death Terra settled all of her fiscal and legal obligations and near isolated herself from the rest of the world. Still, during that time she had to live among people, quietly going from place to place. It wasn't hard to slip back into that frame of being, silently slipping through the crowd.

When she got off the train the foreboding feeling she got when a demon was near hit her, but only for a moment. Terra looked around, but saw nothing. _How many demons are in the city,_ she wondered. She realized the answer to be too many as the feeling of a demon hit her and faded again and again. The crowds were too big to determine any one of them to be not human, but obviously some of them weren't.

Terra did her best to ignore this. Yusuke had assured her that ever since the first Demon World tournament (there had been three so far), demons were allowed to freely come and go into human world and no longer terrorized humans. This did little to help. It's difficult to rationalize fear away.

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

I'm really surprised how quickly I banged this one out. I love writing this story.

Thanks _**Australia**_and _**Shiningheart_of_ThunderClan **_for reviews.

I hope the awkward Hiei conversation was good. He can be hard to capture sometimes.

Also, SUMMARY QUOTE! what? yeah.

Thanks for reading.

PLEASE FORGIVE ANY AND ALL TYPOS! If you find any, feel free to tell me about them and I will be sure to correct them as soon as possible. Thanks!


	8. Chapter 8

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**In the Wake of What Follows**

_**Chapter Eight**_

After a full morning of travel, Terra finally reached her destination. It was a storage lot on the edge of town. Before coming to Genkai's, Terra let her lease on her apartment go and moved all her things into one of the garages. She was kind of surprised everything had fit. Although she hadn't inherited the pack rat gene from her mother's side of the family, Terra did have a lot of stuff.

Upon lifting the metal door, the sight of all her old things gave her a bit of homesickness. Her storage unit was lined with shelves and racks full of reminders of a life she had lost. Had Terra had the will, she could have spent hours going through the trunk in one corner or the photo albums that lined one shelf, but she couldn't bear to reminisce. She had come here for a reason, and she was going to get it done as quickly as possible.

Terra went to the racks she had lined with clothes in storage bags. Before heading off to train on some mountain in Japan, Terra had been a bit of a fashion lover. While living without her nice clothes wasn't an issue, she didn't have the heart to give away her favorite items. Now she was glad she hadn't because yoga pants and a baggy tee-shirt didn't seem proper attire for a wedding. Although it did feel silly to come all the way there just for an outfit.

After carefully folding her chosen dress into her bag, Terra turned to one of the nearby shelves. All the jewelry her mother had ever bought her was carefully put away in a jewelry box and set on the shelf next to a mess of trinkets. She chose a set and placed it in her bag.

And that was it. She didn't need anything else. She didn't want anything else. Yet Terra found herself standing in the midst of her things and unable to move away. This was her life. This had been her life for so long and she had packed it all away. Terra took a deep breath and forced herself to turn away and leave.

Terra grabbed some lunch and headed back to the train stop. She was just passing a large shopping center when someone called her name. Startled at having been recognized, Terra slowed and turned to the voice. A short Japanese girl with long black hair came bounding down the strip, gaining her odd looks from passersby.

"Terra!" she exclaimed again once they were face to face. Her wide eyes were hurt and worried and relieved all at the same time.

"Miyako, hi."

Without another word, the girl wrapped her arms tightly around Terra and held her for some time before speaking again. "Oh my god, Terra. Where have you been?" Miyako pulled away from the hug but still held onto Terra's arms. "You disappeared. I tried calling and your number's been disconnected and your land lord said you let the lease up." Her eyes began to swell with tears. Before Terra could sooth the frantic girl she went on talking. "I contacted all your school friends and nobody knew what happened to you."

"Miyako, we're getting looks," Terra said in way of response. "Let's go somewhere, okay?"

X

The pair made their way to a tea shop and sat. It took a while to calm Miyako down, but when she did it was as if the six months missing never happened.

"I like your hair," Miyako said. "The short looks good on you. But then again, you could always pull anything off. My face is too round for anything other than this. But you look good, really. You lost weight." Unlike Genkai's disapproving tone, Miyako seemed congratulatory. "You're all toned up now. Must be working out, right?"

Terra sighed and nodded her head. Miyako cleared her throat, a sign she was about to get serious again.

"Everyone from school thought you might have killed yourself," she said softly. "But I didn't think you would have moved all of your stuff out so considerately had that been the case."

"Right." Terra didn't know what else to say. The idea of people thinking about her after her disappearance was so surreal.

"You never said what you've been doing," she said, prodding the topic again.

"I, um, I settled all my debt. Don't have much money left. I flew to Australia for Jeremy's funeral. And now I'm on a bit of a retreat."

"A retreat?"

Terra gave Miyako a small smile. "I needed to get away, Miyako. After everything I just couldn't continue being normal. So, I got rid of everything and have been living on a mountain in a temple for the last month. Just bare necessities. And my iPod. I couldn't give up music. I somehow managed to give up my computer, though."

"How long are you going to stay there?"

It was a good question. Terra didn't know herself. She shook her head and sighed again. "As long as I need to," she offered as a weak response. "I haven't really thought it out that far."

Terra looked at the clock on the far wall. She needed to go if she wanted to make it back to the temple before nightfall. "It's been nice seeing you, Miyako. I'm really sorry I worried you."

She gave a kind smile in return.

Miyako and Terra hadn't been the closest of friends, but she had dated Conner for almost a year. They had all hung out a lot. For the first time, she wondered how Miyako was holding up. They may have broken up, but she still lost someone she cared about.

Terra didn't ask.

X

When Terra arrived at the top of the steps, the Kuwabara family was drunk and laughing after a good dinner. Most of them were outside horsing around and Terra had to make her way through them to get to the temple. This was easier said than done. One of them pulled her into a side hug and forced a drink into her hands. "Drink up!" he cheered. "My boy's getting married in the morning!" The rest of the Kuwabara family yelled in response.

"Come on dad, let the poor girl go."

A tall Japanese woman with light brown hair stood next to them with her arms crossed and a stern face. Kuwabara's father let go with a laugh and walked away. Terra put the can of beer down on a nearby table.

"Sorry 'bout that. They forget about personal space when they've had too much. The whole family. Shizuru," she said, offering her hand. "I'm Kazuma's sister. You're Terra, right? I saw you around once or twice before."

Terra nodded and accepted her handshake politely. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it. Just get inside before another one spots you without a drink in hand," she laughed.

Terra did, but before she got much further another person stopped her.

"Terra?" The calm voice was unmistakable, although she didn't know it very well.

Kurama walked out of the kitchen with a smile on his face. The demon hadn't changed much since she last saw him. His hair was still a little too shinny and his eyes seemingly too green, but his smile wasn't as reserved as the ones he had given her before.

"The hair suits you," he said first. His eyes took in her appearance with a calculating manner that unnerved her. "I must say, I was surprised to hear you had come back."

Terra rubbed the back of her head, messing her short hairs. "Yeah, well. Better here than trying to function in normal society, I guess." She looked down the hall wondering how much longer until she could just get to her room.

"You've gotten much stronger," he remarked. When Terra looked at Kurama again, he had the same ghost smile from the first time she met him.

"You can tell?" she asked, surprised. To the people who had been around to see her improvement it seemed normal, but to hear this from Kurama surprised her. He simply nodded and continued to smile. "Well, I'm not strong enough, according to Genkai, I'm afraid. I've never been so fit in my life, so I'm not complaining." She sighed and glanced back down the hall. "It's so weird that you guys can do that, sense somebody's strength."

"You've been here a month, correct?"

Terra nodded and leaned back against the wall.

"If you keep improving at this rate, I'm sure you'll be reading energies in no time."

Terra shook her head. "Maybe. But I'm never going to be as strong as Genkai wants me to be. I'm not a fighter," she said. "I'll probably plateau by spring."

Kurama smiled again, one of his more real smiles. "Why don't you join us?" he offered, indicating behind him. Yusuke and Kuwabara could be heard laughing in the kitchen as other voices chatted happily.

Terra pushed herself off the wall and shook her head. "I'm not one for happy company," she admitted and then headed to her room.

X

The amount of noise from everyone, although quite a bit away, was still loud enough to keep Terra awake. A part of her wanted to get up and join them, the part of her that was lonely and didn't like to be left out. However, the rest of her was stronger. The part of her that was a natural recluse and the part of her that simply couldn't stand to be around so many happy people when she felt so depressed was by far stronger.

In defeat, Terra put in her headphones and slept. It was a broken sleep with what could have been hours staring at the dark wall opposite her, but at least she had no nightmares.

When she woke up again, the start of morning came through her window, dancing behind her shut eyelids. Despite how early it still was, Terra found she wasn't the only one up when she headed to the bathroom. Keiko and Boton ran down the hall a number of times with something new in their hands each time. There were also a number of people in the Kitchen who quickly shooed Terra away when she went for breakfast. The whole area had been commandeered for the making of the feast for that night. Someone handed her a bowl of rice and a pair of chopsticks, which Terra decided would best eaten in her room.

Voices carried to her room throughout the morning, excited, nervous, stressed, but all lively, all happy. The atmosphere of a wedding geared Terra into an almost cheerful disposition.

As she got dressed, all Terra could think about was how weird it was to be wearing actual clothes. A real bra, tights, heels, a dress, jewelry; she hadn't worn anything so put together in a long while. Terra didn't have a mirror in her room, so she thanked the fact her hair was so short it couldn't really look messy. While it was weird to be wearing such nice things again, Terra felt so comfortable in heals and a dress.

When it reached noon, Terra looked towards her door. She hadn't been nervous about dressing up until just that moment. _On with the show_, she thought, taking a deep breath before heading out to the second dojo.

In the room everything was decorated with red chrysanthemums and forget-me-nots frozen in icicles. Terra wondered if Yukina had done that, frozen the flowers. Although she had only ever seen the ice apparition heal, Terra was still aware of her other abilities. Still, it was beautiful and seemed very reminiscent of both Kuwabara and Yukina.

Most people were still mulling about, a small number in seats. Most of those sitting were men Terra didn't recognize. Something about them seemed off, as if their facial features were too sharp, or something. _Maybe they're demons,_ she thought.

"Whoa, Terra!" Yusuke called, catching sight of her in the back. Yusuke looked funny in a suit, but devilishly handsome. He could have been a very suave as he sauntered over if it weren't for the goofy grin he had plastered across his face. "You clean up amazingly," he laughed.

"Not so bad yourself."

Terra was wearing a long sleeve, knee length, dark blue dress with matching heals. "Matches your eyes," Krama commented. Terra jumped a little not realizing he was nearby let alone so close.

"Hope you didn't spend too much for this," Yusuke said.

"It's from my old wardrobe," Terra explained. "I used to dress up like this on a daily bases. Well, maybe not quite this fancy, but." She shrugged.

"Aye, 'n who do we have here?" A man with the oddest accent she had ever heard walked over and put an arm around Yusuke. He, like Kurama, had shockingly red hair. Unlike Kurama, it wasn't shinny. Terra was certain he was a demon though. His toothy grin showed off pointed teeth and the page boy cap he wore strategically tucked in the tops of his ears that already looked too pointy.

"Jin, this is Terra Nakashima," Kurama offered. "She's Genkai's new pupil. Terra, this is Jin. He's an old friend of ours."

"Ach, we all know how da crazy ole lady can be. Surprised yah even standing, that I am." Jin's friendliness and utter glee as he shook Terra's hand almost coaxed out a real smile. The red head was simply jubilant, radiating cheer to everyone around him. Although, most people at the wedding were already quite happy. "Are you married?" He asked, surprising the rest of them. A blush spread its way across his cheeks quickly. "No, no, not like tha'!" Jin said, wildly shaking his hands in front of him in apology. "I meant, I never met a white girl with a Japanese surname," he explained.

"Well I never met someone speak Japanese with a Scottish brogue."

With a smile, Jin turned to Yusuke and said, "Aye, I like her. Spent the first hundred or so years of me life round Edinburgh. Ah, the winds there are a beaut." He nodded almost vigorously at the sentiment.

"My grandfather's full blooded Japanese," Terra gave as response. "He married a white girl. My father married a white girl. Then I got all the pasty white girl genes. So, no, I'm not married."

"However," Kurama began, "someone's about to be. I think we should take our seats. Shall we?"

Kurama put a hand to Terra's back. She flinched and he took it away ever the slightest so they weren't touching, but still close enough Terra could feel his hand behind her. She would have walked away, but she had to ask.

"Am I on the side of the bride or the groom?"

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

Please forgive any and all typos. I try my best to not make them, but that doesn't always work out. If you spot one, feel free to tell me about it and I will go and correct it.

Hope you're all enjoying it.

JIN! I always find him adorable. Despite knowing Scottish people, I found writing that particular accent very difficult. So, sorry.

Thanks _**Shiningheart_of_ThunderClan **_for the stellar review. (stellar? who says that? idk)

And thanks everyone who's reading.


	9. Chapter 9

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**In the Wake of What Follows**

_**Chapter Nine**_

Terra took a seat in the third and last row of the bride's side between Jin and a boy who looked about thirteen. It truly was a small number of people attending, but for balance sake, the parties had been divided by Kuwabara's family members, and others. As Terra found out, with the exception of herself and Genkai, all of the others weren't human. The first row was reserved for Boton, Koenma, Genkai, Kurama, and Hiei, although he had yet to show.

Jin introduced Terra to the three guys sitting in the second row, all of them being old sparing buddies along with the boy to Terra's left. The looks in their eyes were all very telling, curiosity of the foreign girl just bursting inside them. Terra wanted nothing more than to be left alone and not asked any questions. Thankfully her savoir came. Yusuke stood in front of the crowd and cleared his throat, gaining all attention.

"Now, I know you're all excited for this thing to start, so if you'll all quite down, then maybe we can," he laughed. "No eloquent speeches until the reception," he added when one of Kuwabara's family shouted.

Terra noticed that at some point during Yusuke's short announcement, Hiei had made his way in and to his seat. It was worrisome how fast and silently he could move. Hiei hadn't worn a suit, but his normal black cloak he wore outside. Terra hadn't really expected anything else. Still, she found it a bit rude.

Yusuke then took his spot as best man. Kuwabara had walked in at some point and now stood looking extremely nervous in his traditional garb. It was almost funny. Kuwabara was a big man, and his nerves made him look like a scared kitten. He may be tough, as everyone in the room knew, but he was also a softy.

From Terra's own experiences of friend's weddings, she knew that Japanese tradition had been largely influenced by western civilization. The idea of a best man was fairly new in the span of Japanese history, for instance. Terra also knew modern Japanese women tended to go for a wedding dress, but Yukina could hardly be called a modern Japanese woman. It was quite shocking to see her walk down the aisle.

Keiko came first wearing a traditional kimono, powder blue with red flowers at the hem. From the look on Yusuke's face, it could have been their wedding. When Yukina came into view, she was a sight to behold, the epitome of the blushing bride. Yukina wore the traditional shiromuku, a beautifully intricate white silk kimono. Terra remembered a girl she knew who was getting married straight after graduation complaining because her mother wanted her to wear the kimono when she wanted a dress. Yukina hadn't painted her face white or worn the black wig, which Terra approved of. She looked ten times more beautiful with her naturally pale skin and the near white hair glistening against the fabric.

The ceremony itself was very traditional with the sharing of the sake. Kuwabara almost dropped the first cup when he passed it to Yukina. She gave him a warm smile when it happened. They were so in love.

"Are you crying?"

The voice was barely a whisper. Rinku, at least that's what Terra thought the boy's name was, was looking up at her with just an innocent look. Terra reached her hand up and patted her eyes with her thumb, catching the tears before they fell.

"I tear up easily," she whispered back. "Nothing to worry about. I could be one of them." Terra pointed to the Kuwabara family where a few of the elder women were sobbing.

Rinku took the response with a shrug and continued to watch the ceremony. Lots of people cry at weddings for a number of reasons. People shed tears of joy, tears of passing, tears of overwhelmed unnamed emotions. Had anyone bothered to look at Terra's face at that moment, however, the tears behind her eyes could only be seen as tears of pain.

X

"A toast," Yusuke's voice bellowed over the dull roar of conversation. "To my best friend, Kuwabara. If you were present at my wedding, then much of this speech is repetition of what he said to me, as my best man. So, I'm sorry for that." A few people laughed, but everyone was happy to hear the story of their friendship. "Kuwabara and I used to fight each other all the time. We still do. He's never been able to beat me." A _hey_ came from Kuwabara, but it went ignored. "But one day we found something to fight for, and fight together. We were constantly trying to better ourselves, and while he may not be able to beat me in a fight, Kazuma Kuwabara has won out on character. Though I'm his best man, he's a better one. Yukina sees that more than anybody, how great of a person Kuwabara truly his. He's loved her from the moment he saw her, and he will love her until the day he dies. I don't have to wish them a happy marriage, because I know that as long as they both live, it will be." Yusuke stood silent for a moment and then shifted his weight. "And that's about as sappy as I can get, so you better be thankful, buddy."

A bit of an applause was given and then some more speeches. Terra did her best to pay attention and clap politely, but it was hard to go about acting normal when she was hiding such pain deep inside. The happiness of everyone sunk her deeper into the depression she had been long running from.

"Lovely piece of jewelry you have there," one of the men at her table said to Terra, knocking her back to reality. He was blond and tall and one of the demons. Actually, everyone at Terra's table was one of the demons, it seemed. Terra felt like she had been put at the kids table.

Terra reached her hand up to where the pearl rested between her collarbones. "Thank you." She wished she was wearing Jeremy's charm. She felt lost without it.

"And the earrings match too. Is the setting silver?"

"White gold."

The blonde nodded, eying the piece like a thief.

"Don't mind Suzuka," another said. Terra believed this one was Shishiwakamaru. Terra had remembered being surprised by the long name, although it seemed everyone called him Shishi. "He just doesn't like other people being prettier than himself. And your necklace is quite pretty."

Terra didn't respond to this.

"Forget her necklace," Chu said, his cheeks already red with drink. "She's quite pretty."

"Giving up on Natsume?" Rinku asked teasingly.

The large, drunk demon's face got even redder, but not from the alcohol. "She'll be mine one day. I'm sure I made an impression at the last tournament. Practically beat her brother."

"You still lost," Rinku laughed, so did the rest of them.

They seemed so nice and genuine and _human_. Terra's bad feeling was ever present around them, but it was only her sensing their demonic energy, and she knew that. Without her ability, Terra would have liked them, she was sure. Being around them made her wonder why she was so afraid. Remembering what they could do reminded her. But they weren't evil, Terra had to remind herself. In the same way all humans varied, so did demons. Terra looked over to where Yukina was, her red eyes full of delight.

"If you'll excuse me," Terra said, standing.

People were beginning to mingle, the first serving and toasts having finished, and Yukina was chatting merrily with some of her new relatives. Terra walked over to where she stood and did her best to intervene without being rude.

Kuwabara's aunts walked away giving Terra and Yukina space to talk. "I know we've barely spoken during my stay here," Terra began, "and for that I hope you forgive me. You did so much for me when I was just a stranger. You're one of the sweetest people I have ever met, and you deserve someone like Kuwabara. I see the way he looks at you, and the way you look at him."

"Are you okay?" she asked, sensing the hurt behind Terra's words.

Terra nodded quickly and put on her best face. "I think I just need some time alone. It's hard for me to be around so many people, after what happened," she explained. "But back on topic." Terra took hold of Yukina's hands and squeezed them gently. "Take care of your love. I'm certain it will never fade, but take none of it for granted. Love like yours is a rare, precious thing. So take care of it, okay."

Yukina smiled with a hint of sympathy in her eyes. Squeezing back, she said, "I will. I promise."

Letting go of Yukina's hands, Terra began to head out of the dining area. She was done with the festivities.

"Oh, Terra," Keiko said, stopping her. Terra noticed the use of her first name. _When did Keiko make that switch?_ she wondered. The underlying question truly being, when had she begun to be accepted? "Are you heading to your room?"

"Yeah. Just wanted to get away for a bit."

Keiko bit her lip and adjusted Tomio in her arms. Between the ceremony and the reception she had gotten her child from his nap but he was now beginning to squirm. "Do you think you can do me a huge favor?"

"Um, sure," Terra said hoping it was nothing too drastic.

"Could you maybe look after Tomio for a bit? He just needs to crawl around a bit and play with some toys and I think all the commotion is bothering him. If it's too much, I understand, but-"

"Keiko, it's fine." Terra smiled down at the little boy. "It's not like I've never baby sat before. Where's his diaper bag? I'll just bring him to my room."

Keiko handed the child over with a relieved smile. "You are an angel," she said. Keiko ran to her table quickly and came back with a pack. Before she could start listing where everything was, Terra told her to enjoy herself at the reception. "I will. Thank you. I can't say it enough."

"Not a problem." Terra looked down at the boy in her arms and smiled again. "We're going to go play, you want that?" she cooed. Tomio giggled a bit in response. Terra looked back up at Keiko who seemed to be having a hard time walking away. "Now go," she told Keiko.

With one last wave to her baby and thanking Terra, Keiko went off to talk to the rest of the reception party.

Terra went to her room, rocking the baby in her arms with a bit of a bounce to get him to smile. Tomio reached his little hand up and grasped at her necklace. "No, no, that's not a toy," she said. Terra put the baby on her futon so she could take off her jewelry. "I really hope you don't puke."

Keeping an eye on Tomio, Terra put her necklace and earrings away on her dresser. He truly was a beautiful baby. "You're going to grow up looking just like your father, aren't you? You have Keiko's nose, though, and maybe her ears." Terra went and zipped open his bag and took out a few play toys and scattered them on the futon. For a few moments, Terra just stared at the child. He was so happy with so little. She wished life could be that simple sometimes.

"What are you doing?"

Terra jumped a little at Hiei's voice. "Babysitting. What are you doing?" She didn't like how he opened her door without knocking.

When he didn't move or make for a response, Terra decided her best option was to ignore him.

"Why do you look at him like that?" he asked.

"Like what?" she asked back, truly unsure as to what he meant.

He scrutinized her for a moment before placing his eyes on Tomio. Instead of answering he just asked more questions. "Why are you babysitting?"

"Because Keiko asked me too." Terra looked back at Tomio and rolled a ball his way which his little hands had trouble grasping.

"Why you?"

Terra rolled her eyes. "Isn't that a question for Keiko?" she countered.

"I don't trust you," he said.

Those words left her heart to plummet. "So you've said before." Terra looked at Hiei with hurt in her eyes. "You really think so low of me that I'd harm a baby?" He didn't respond. "Fine, you know what, think what you like. Me talking isn't going to change your mind any."

Terra looked back at Tomio. He was crawling now towards another play toy, blissfully unaware of what was going on around him.

Hiei was still there standing in her doorway. She could feel him. She didn't know if it was just because he slept only a wall away from her or if it was because his energy had been so intense when they first met, but she could tell it was his energy when she sensed it. It made her wonder how he snuck up on her in the first place. Probably his sheer speed, she reasoned.

"You smile," he said, "when you look at him."

Terra let out a breath of amusement, not looking away from the baby boy. "I smile whenever I see a baby," she said.

"Why?"

Terra shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe it's my maternal nature taking over. Maybe I marvel in their innocence. Maybe I just think babies are cute. Does it matter?"

He said nothing.

Then, for no apparent reason, Tomio started to cry. Terra leaned over to pick him up and a near growl came from Hiei. Scooping the baby into her arms, Terra glared at Hiei.

"Don't give me that," she said. "Babies cry." Terra looked to Tomio in her arms and her face softened. "Shh," she cooed, "don't cry. I've got you." Terra continued to make soft words to the baby as she rocked him gently. He didn't calm down until she found his pacifier and gave it to him. The boy suckled happily on the plastic. "There," she said softly.

Terra looked up to her doorway, but Hiei had vanished. It was then she realized she no longer felt his aura. _I didn't even notice._

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

BABY!

My apologies for any typos. Feel free to tell me about them so they can be corrected.

This was probably a bit of a boring chapter, I know, but hey, they happen.

Thanks _**Shiningheart_of_ThunderClan**_ for the reviews. Always appreciated. Funny story, was planning this baby scene before you mentioned Terra may want to steal the baby as a reason for Hie to not trust her.

Bleh, school cramping my writing flow already. Sorry for the future delays. Since I'm keeping the chapters under 5 pages on a word document, I should still be able to post often enough. *shrugs*


	10. Chapter 10

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**In the Wake of What Follows**

_**Chapter Ten**_

"Yusuke Urameshi, take your son. Right _now_," Terra seethed. Every time Yusuke opened his mouth to protest, Terra said no and continued to hold out Tomio in front of her. "I've been watching him for over three hours, and Keiko is taking a well-deserved nap. I say that because I fear you've never taken responsibility for your child. I am not his mother. I can only stand babies so much. Now take him."

Terra didn't really believe Yusuke didn't take care of his son, but it was enough of a guilt trip to make him take Tomio. Yusuke had been having a fun time with all the guys, so she also understood why he didn't exactly want to be the dad at the moment, especially since she was doing this in front of all of them.

"Terra's turning out to be as feisty as Keiko," Chu laughed, slamming his sake jug on the table. "Yusuke needs more people like that in his life."

Yusuke grumbled something nasty at Chu and sat down, his son seemingly quite content in his arms.

Kurama looked up at Terra from behind his drink and near smiled. "You should join us," he offered.

Terra shook her head. "I have training in the morning. Genkai's not going to let me have three days off."

Expecting to leave it at that and walk away, Terra was quite surprised by the barrage of complaints from all the guys, with the exception of Hiei and Kurama who remained silent. It was Kuwabara who took Terra's hand and pulled her down into one of the cushions. "Come on Terra," he whined, "it's my wedding day, you have to do as I say."

"Okay, fine, geeze." Jin tried to pass her a drink, but she pushed it back. "I don't really drink."

"How come?" Yusuke asked.

Terra shrugged, feeling uncomfortable. Everyone's eyes were on her and it was unnerving. "I don't care for the taste of most alcohol."

"Probably for the better," Yusuke said. "Don't want a hangover when you train with the old hag tomorrow."

The guys laughed. "I don't know, Yusuke," Chu said. "Being drunk was the only way I got through her training."

Terra sat back and watched the interactions as the demons discussed their training with Genkai, laughing all the while like it was some childhood memory. They reminisced at how angry they had been at the time as if the entire thing were a joke.

"God, I better get out of this while I'm still alive," Terra said after Shishi told of some particularly horrifying training.

Kuwabara clapped Terra on the back and laughed. "She won't kill you, promise."

"Ach, and here we are taking up all ta air talkin' 'n Terra 'ere's hardly said two words," Jin said in a rapid fire that Terra could barely understand. "I dunno 'bout you but I never met no human girl as interestin' as Urameshi."

"I'm not interesting," Terra interjected with a furrowed brow, truly not understanding why they were so fascinated.

"No, you're just mysterious," Kuwabara mumbled before taking another sip of sake.

"Mysterious?" she questioned incredulous. Terra had been called many things during her life; weird, stupid, loner, hipster, pathetic, amazing, brilliant, beautiful, disgusting, but never mysterious.

Yusuke laughed at Terra's expression and shook his head. "All we know about you is what Kurama coaxed out of you when you were first here."

"I was in shock, it had to be coaxed out of me," she protested. "Fuck it, ask me anything. I'll give you twenty questions."

They all seemed shocked by that, which gave Terra a sense of triumph, but she was really just bitter after Hiei's remark earlier. They didn't trust her because they didn't know her, then fine. Let them know her. Terra crossed her arms and waited for a question.

"Well then let's start with where you were born, shall we?" Kurama supplied.

"California."

"Ooooooooooo, is it nice there?" Kuwabara asked with some excitement.

Terra shrugged. "I moved when I was two. To Wisconsin. Then when I was ten I moved to Massachusetts." Before they could ask, she continued. "After high school, I took a year off to study acting, then my mom made me go to real college. After my first year of community college I studied abroad in Japan, get to know my roots better and all that jazz. After the first semester at Sophia, I liked it so much, I transferred. I graduated this past summer. Now I'm here.

"I don't really have a home anymore. I've never been connected to a place simply by living there and I have nothing to go back to in any of those places. I've been living in Japan for the past three years and I gave up my apartment before coming here to train."

Terra looked back at Kurama expecting another question at the ready, but a calculating look overtook his features. Next to him, she could feel Hiei's stare boring into her, but Terra refused to look his way. Kurama returned Terra's gaze with a look that was trying to put pieces of a puzzle together, but he didn't say anything.

"Favorite color?" Rinku asked.

"I don't do favorites."

"When'd you start dancing?" Kuwabara asked. Terra shot him a look, slightly surprised. "I've walked by on some mornings when you got your headphones in."

"That's embarrassing. I started ballet when I was three. Jazz, tap, and lyrical in middle school."

"You must be good then?" Jin had a twinkle in his eye when he asked that.

Terra shook her head. "Not really. I just enjoyed it. Besides, you kind of have to be a triple threat if you want to act nowadays. And back then, I did."

"Tripple threat?"

"Act, sing, and dance," Terra explained.

"You sing, too?"

Terra could feel a blush begin to creep up to her cheeks. "Yes, but again, I'm not that good. I will not sing for any of you. So don't even ask."

"Will you sing for me?"

Terra whacked Yusuke in response. He laughed. "Okay, okay, different topic," he said.

"Do you like girls or boys?" Chu asked, a sly smile gracing his drunken features.

Terra had to roll her eyes but then gave the same look to Chu in return. "Boys."

"Ever been in love?" Chu raised his eyebrows for a second and took a swallow of sake.

"Yes."

"You a virgin?"

Kuwabara nearly choked next to her. Yusuke did spit his drink out. Before either of them could breathe enough to scold Chu for such a direct question, Terra let out a dry laugh. While the idea of her singing caused her to blush, Terra never minded talking about such things.

"No."

"I DID NOT NEED TO KNOW THIS!" Kuwabara yelled, covering his hands over his ears.

"SHUT UP KUWABARA! YOU'LL WAKE UP TOMIO!" Yusuke yelled even louder

"Oh, calm down," she said, rolling her eyes. "It's not like I'm your baby sister or anything." This didn't seem to matter. Kuwabara just kept holding his ears and shaking his head back and forth. Terra rolled her eyes. "Come on guys, you still got nine left. But nothing else sexual. I don't think the man of the hour can handle it."

"Is that your natural hair color?" Suzuka asked.

"No. I use henna. My natural hair color is a very dark brown but not quite as dark as the standard Japanese. The henna just adds a red tint."

"I knew it," he exclaimed. "Your roots are beginning to show." Suzuka then touched his own hair sadly. "I haven't dyed my hair in ages."

"It's addicting, I know."

"Batman or Superman?" Yusuke asked. The demons didn't seem to know who they were, except Kurama.

"Batman. And really? You say you want to get to know me and you give me an either or? Pathetic questions guys."

"Got any tattoos?" Chu asked with a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows. Kuwabara shot him a nasty glance.

"Two, but I won't say where nor what they are. I will say Kurama has most likely seen one of them."

She looked over to the red head, whose calculating expression had been covered by a cool mask. "I have," he admitted.

"What's your biggest scar?" Rinku asked with a sheepish grin.

Terra put a hand on her chest and with the best overdramatic expression she could muster, she told them "the one in my heart." Though she had played it as a joke, it was the truth.

"Unrequited love?" Suzuka asked.

"Something like that."

"What's your biggest fear?" Terra turned to Hiei, surprised he had spoken up at all.

"That is a good question." Terra shrugged. "I'm really grossed out by bugs. Like, I mean, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom type shit. I cringe during that one scene."

"Yeah, that is really gross," Kuwabara said.

"That's cheating!" Rinku yelled. "Being grossed out and being afraid aren't the same thing."

"Fine," Terra sighed when a couple of the other boys jeered her on. "I have nightmares a lot. My biggest fear is that I'll get trapped in them."

There was silence for a moment before Rinku's boyish innocence spoke up again. "Really? Nightmares? You're not afraid of dying or something?"

Terra looked at the boy seriously. She knew Rinku was actually older than herself, but he still had the demeanor of a child. She almost didn't say it. "I may be young, but I do not fear death. If it came to me now, I would only welcome it."

Before Terra could register the movements in the corner of her eye, she heard the swish of a coat and the scuff of boot soles on wood. When Terra turned to look, Hiei had already vanished.

"Well that's kind of dark," Yusuke said.

"Did whatever happened to you that caused your heart to stop influence your decision to transfer to Sophia?"

Terra's eyes widened, caught off guard by Kurama's question. She hadn't expected anyone to catch that. It was almost three years since she first felt that now familiar feeling that meant a demon was near. The accident that caused her heart to stop happened a few months before. She had just returned home after her semester abroad. "Yes."

"You're heart stopped?" Rinku asked in amazement. Terra only nodded.

"Well, come on," Jin said with a smile. "What happened?"

Terra shifted in her seat and looked away. She wasn't expecting this to come up. But really, why wouldn't it have. With a sigh she told them. "I was in a car crash. It was really bad. Twelve car pileup on the highway coming back from the airport. The car in front of us, well, on top of us, was on fire. I was in the hospital for a week."

"Us?" Kurama asked.

Terra looked down at the table. This had always been something she struggled talking about. "My parents. My dad was driving. They died."

Terra stood and didn't look at any of them. "That was twenty-one. I'm going to go."

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

I originally had my usual "thank you"s here but when I went back and edited this, I forgot to copy them too. So, sorry. Still, thanks everyone!


	11. Chapter 11

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**In the Wake of What Follows**

_**Chapter Eleven**_

Genkai's training did not disappoint. Terra lost herself in the pain of her muscles as they were pushed to unimaginable limits. Genkai watched from the sidelines, barking instructions, the sound of her voice drowning out the chatter of the wedding guests who had yet to leave.

Terra went through a sequence of martial arts attacks and stances again and again until Genkai dubbed her proficient enough to stop. With rasping breaths, Terra walked over to her water bottle and took a long drink.

"Not tired already," Genkai challenged.

"What gave you that impression?" Terra responded, smirking despite her heavy breaths.

"Handstand," Genkai commanded.

Terra's smirk fell. The last time Genkai had her do a handstand, it lasted for hours until all the blood had rushed to her brain and Terra had nearly fainted. Her arms could only just hold herself up in the first place, but Genkai listened to no excuses. Terra did as she was told.

Her arms wobbled for the first minute or so, but eventually Terra found her balance.

"Now focus your spirit energy."

"Like this!" Terra protested, nearly toppling over at the request.

Genkai snorted. "You may not be able to command it into physical form yet, but you have to be able to accesses your energy no matter what conditions you are under."

Terra only sighed in defeat. Doing as Genkai instructed, she dived into her energy and pulled it through her like coaxing a snake to dance. Sometimes this process was smooth, but with the added stress on her body it was nearing painful. Her energy prickled beneath her skin and coursed through her veins as if she had been shocked.

"Relax," Genkai snapped.

"That's kind of hard at the moment."

Genkai slapped Terra's leg almost knocking her off balance. "Don't talk back."

Terra let out a grunt as her arms began to shake. _This is going to be a long day_.

X

When Terra had finally collapsed, Genkai was kind enough to bring a bowl of rice each into the dojo for lunch. "Most everybody's left," she informed Terra as they ate. "Shizuru's the only one from Kuwabara's family still about. But she's practically a part of the usual gang, if you'd call it that."

"Meaning?"

"She's one of the people I'm leaving the temple to," Genkai explained, "along with her brother, his now wife, Yusuke and Keiko, Kurama, Koenma, Boton, and Hiei."

"Those are the names that kept popping up in Yusuke's stories," Terra said before taking another bite of rice.

Genaki coughed. The worry Terra had at that moment for the old woman's health was written clearly on her face. With a sharp look, Genkai stood. "You're mask slips when you're around me," she said, shocking Terra. "When others are around your facial expressions are minimal. Only someone skilled in reading faces or who knew you well would be able to pick up on them, but when we're alone all your emotions are easily seen."

"I didn't realize I did that."

"Hide them from others or show them to me?"

Terra furrowed her brow thinking about it. "Either." Terra shrugged. "I built up walls after the incident. I'm good at building walls. I had so many it really hindered me from being truthful in the moment in my acting. When I was studying, I had one teacher that pushed me physically and emotionally until I had an utter breakdown, but it was what I had needed at the time to bring those walls down. I couldn't've done it myself if I'd wanted to." Terra scratched the back of her head and sighed. "But then shit happened and I built more walls, and then more shit happened, and I built more walls. And then the one person I was able to let in died, and I built more walls." Terra looked at Genkai and near smiled. "You kind of remind me of that teacher. You're nothing alike, not really, but you push me as if you can see something I can't."

"You're very perceptive of yourself," Genkai remarked.

"Well, when it happened last time, it was something I thought about a lot. My perception of who I was shifted a bit, and I needed to put everything together. So, I think I understand how I function pretty well. I think the amount of physical exertion leads to breaking down of some walls. Makes me easier to reach, somehow. So, you're getting me because I'm tired." She gave the old woman a lazy grin which was returned with a snort.

X

Keiko, Shizuru, and Boton chatted over tea in the dining room. Shizuru had brought her computer to do some work the few days leading up to the wedding, and now Keiko was on it.

"I never bothered because I couldn't get on the internet," Keiko said. "But you have this awesome internet stick thing. I should get one just for trips to the temple!"

"Yeah, it's pretty useful. What are you getting at anyway?"

Keiko pulled her camera out of her purse. "It's nothing special, but I wanted to put some photos I took of the reception up on facebook. Yukina didn't want her picture taken, still insisting it'll capture her soul."

Boton laughed. "I'm sure you still got some good shots."

"Yep. I was pretty sneaky, but I got them." Keiko slipped the memory card into the computer and sorted through her pictures. "Oh, Boton, you look great in this one."

"Let me see!" she exclaimed, scooting closer to see the computer screen. "Oh, no! I look cross-eyed in that one. Don't post _that_."

"You look fine," Shizuru said, rolling her eyes. She was now standing behind them watching as Keiko scrolled through her pictures.

"Huh?" Keiko said when it came to a series of herself. "Who took these?"

"Oh, Keiko, you look stunning!" Boton squealed. "You should have worn a kimono on your wedding, too."

"I think that's Yusuke's handy work," Shizuru offered.

A blush crept up on Keiko's cheek as if Yusuke and herself were still school pals and the idea of his affection was embarrassing. She quickly zipped through those photos until it came back to the ones of other guests at the party.

A picture of Terra graced the screen. It was the only one Keiko had managed to capture. "She has a very stoic sort of beauty," Boton said, frowning at Terra's lack of smile in the photo.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Shizuru commented.

Boton paled. She had said the same thing about Shizuru not two days ago. "I didn't mean it like that," Boton said frantically trying to correct herself. Shizuru laughed. She had known her remark would make the reaper squirm. "Don't hate me," Boton squealed.

"Why would I hate you?" she asked. "Terra looks nice in that photo."

"You can't deny she would be so much prettier if she smiled," Boton said. She slumped onto the table.

Keiko continued to sift through her photos, staring the ones she was going to load onto the website. The door to the room slid open and Yusuke popped his head in. "There you girls are. Hey, Keiko, I fed Tomio all by myself."

Keiko rolled her eyes and smiled at her husband. "That's wonderful Yusuke. Is that what you wanted to find me for?" she laughed.

"Just was going to ask what you all wanted for dinner. I'm cooking," he grinned. "What are you up to?"

"Going through wedding photos," Keiko said. "Don't tell Yukina I took some pictures of her."

"My lips are sealed." He leaded over and pecked his wife on the lips. "Good thing she doesn't use the internet," he said, noticing Keiko was posting photos on facebook.

Boton then sat up with smile, a sudden thought haven stricken her. "You should look her up, Keiko. I'm sure Terra has a facebook like you."

Keiko smiled. "That's a great idea!"

"What did we do before facebook stalking?" Shizuru asked with a light laugh.

Keiko shook her head. "None of these are her's."

Kurama's voice filtered in, surprising the girls. "I think you spelt her name wrong."

"Oh, Kurama!" Keiko said, having jumped from her spot a good inch. "When did you get here? And Hiei?" The two demons had popped up as if out of nowhere.

"Just now," Kurama informed. Hiei stayed silent, seemingly bored. "If I remember correctly, her ID spelt her first name T-E-R-R-A not T-A-R-A."

Keiko nodded and typed in the new name. As facebook was still loading results, Kuwabara, followed by Yukina, entered the room trying to figure out where everyone had gone.

"Well this is becoming an attraction," Shizuru joked.

"Wait, what?" Kuwabara asked.

"We're looking up Terra on facebook," Yusuke said.

"The third one," Kurma said, leaning over Keiko and pointing.

Keiko clicked on the link. Her profile picture was of a Terra and Jeremy, but the icon was too small to make out until they had reached her main page. In the full view it was painfully obvious. Terra was on Jeremy's back in the picture, her arms around his neck, large smiles plastered on their faces.

"Oh," Keiko said. She had only just recognized the boy.

"What are all those comments?" Boton questioned.

Keiko scrolled down with everyone looking over her shoulder. For pages there were comments left on her page asking where she was, if she was okay, how she was holding up, condolences as to her loss. When the scroll bar was barely a stub did Keiko find Terra's last status update. _Going backpacking through Japan with Jeremy and Conner! So excited. _It was dated two weeks before the incident.

Before everybody could read it, Keiko scrolled back up and clicked to see Terra's info, scanning frantically for the information she was hoping not to find.

"Her birthday was only a week later," Kurama commented sadly. But that wasn't what Keiko was looking for. It was her relationship status.

"This must have been torture," Keiko said.

"What must have been torture?" Boton asked. "A week after what?"

"There's something I've missed," Shizuru said. Everyone else in the room was silent and sad eyed, even Yukina and Kuwabara who hadn't been anything but mushy lovey dovey since before the wedding.

"Terra first came to the temple after being attacked by some of the demons in the forest. Her two friends that were with her died in the attack," Kurama explained.

"I beat the shit out them. They knew they weren't supposed to hurt anyone," Yusuke said, his hands already balling into fists at the thought.

Keiko pointed to the boy in the profile picture. "That boy was one of them," she said. "They were dating." Keiko didn't bring up the trinket Terra wore around her neck at times. Keiko had seen it once as Terra was coming out of the bath. There was no doubt in Keiko's mind that the item was from him.

When nobody made to move, Boton reached over and took control of the computer. "Well I want to see more pictures of her, which was the whole reason we went on facebook in the first place."

Keiko looked at her friend and bit her lip. "I don't know. I already feel like we've trespassed on her life."

But Boton ignored this, and no one stopped her. It was like watching an accident, as Boton clicked through Terra's pictures. It's terrible and potentially gruesome, but you can't look away. In every photo she had a brilliant smile or a goofy face. Her eyes held mirth and love, especially in the photos with Jeremy. Boton kept going further back into her life. It was interesting to watch her hair change length, growing shorter and shorter, then being down to her shoulders suddenly. Her clothes were always nice, just as she had told them.

Then there was a group of photos where she didn't smile. Kurama noted the time stamp being after her parents deaths. Then she was out of Japan. There were photos of her in Boston with friends, then photos of her in New York, at parties, in costumes. She was getting younger and younger, another gap in photos, and then it was her high school graduation. Terra looked the most different here with her hair reaching her mid back. She was with a girl in all these shots that wasn't in the later part of her life. Then came shots of her in dance costume, crying as she hugged her instructor. And more costumes with school plays.

Everyone made comments now and again. "She's so pretty." "Wow, she's lost weight since then." "I like her hair better shorter." "It's weird to see her smile." "She used to be really weird." But it was the thought everyone had that no one said that hung in the air like a fog. _Her eyes seem so dead now._

"Hey, guys, I-" Terra's voice stopped upon seeing them all. She had just come from a bath and was going to ask if dinner had been made, but the looks on most of their faces stopped her. Hiei had Kurama had their usual masks on, but the rest of them, especially Keiko, read guilt. Terra eyed the computer in front of Boton that had been hastily shut upon her arrival. It wasn't hard to figure out what they had done.

"It's fine," she said backing out of the room. "It's my fault for not deleting it. I'm not going to be mad at you for something so trivial."

With that, Terra headed to the roof, not looking back even when they called her name.

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

Okay, wow, I found it really difficult to write outside of following Terra. I hope it's okay. Also, facebook in Yu Yu Hakusho seems really weird, but it had to be done.

Thanks to all of my reviewers! **_ssw-rawr_**, _**sessys_girl_forever**_, _**Shiningheart_of_ThunderClan**_, and _**XAudra_RoseX**_. You guys are awesome. =]

You guys are so lucky I have this story planned out so far and love writing it as much as I do. If not, I doubt I'd be able to write it as quickly as I do. Especially with school now.

So yeah. Hope you're enjoying. And thanks for reading!


	12. Chapter 12

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**In the Wake of What Follows**

_**Chapter Twelve**_

It was still early in the night. Terra sat on the roof, further back than usual, and stared across the tree line. Sometime later Shizuru left. Terra watched below at the goodbyes. They knew she was up there watching, there was no way they didn't, but no one looked up. She was grateful for that courtesy.

Not long after, Kurama too departed. The red head's eyes did flicker her way once, but nothing longer than a passing moment. It was as she watched his near glistening hair disappear into the darkness that someone joined her on the roof.

"I was surprised you were there," she said. "You don't seem like the gossip type."

Hiei said nothing as he came and sat next to her. The heat he radiated torched her side pleasantly in stark contrast to the cold shiver his energy caused. It was some time before either of them spoke.

"I had been in the room for different reasons, but I do admit to being curious when the situation arose."

Terra merely nodded. She thought about explaining to him why she kept her profile, but thought the demon probably didn't even know what facebook was. She didn't figure him to be someone updated to modern social media and technology.

It had been for them. For Conner and Jeremy. Without her facebook, she would never be able to go on theirs again. Terra didn't want to lose that. There were so many memories of their friendships tied to what they had written on each other's walls. A part of her thought she might be able to go back someday and scroll through it like a scrapbook.

Perhaps she should have changed her own security settings to prevent something like what happened. But, when she still had a computer, she didn't even want to veer near the site.

A cold breeze rushed the mountain top and Terra hugged her knees closer. She hadn't been wearing as many layers as she usually would.

"I hate the cold," she muttered.

"The why are you always on the roof at night when it's winter?" he mused with bitter words.

"I can bare it." As the wind blew again, she shivered, her teeth clacking for a moment. "But I hate it. I mean, I've lived in climates much colder than this during the winter. Wisconsin and Massachusetts are pretty high up on the longitudinal line, especially in comparison to where we are now. But I hate it." Her teeth clacked again. "I wear so many layers when I'm outside, normally. I'd rather be sweating than shivering, any day. One of my roommates in college called me a freak, jokingly, we were close, because I said I was comfortable in stuffy rooms and heat that most people find too warm. She was from Minnostoa. Although, that probably means nothing to you," Terra said with a bit of a heartless laugh.

"Hn," was his only response.

"Your energy makes me cold," she all but whispered into her knees. Still, he heard it.

Hiei looked at her with sharp eyes that read distrust and bemusement.

"It's not as sharp now, but when I first felt your energy I froze in my steps from the anger and rage that felt like ice was gripping my heart. It reminded me of how I felt after Yukina healed me, but without the soothing undertone. Your energy is like cold daggers, most of the time."

Terra dared a glance at Hiei who still bore the same expression.

"I know you're a fire apparition. I can feel the heat come off you from here. But your energy…" She trailed off and stood. "I should be getting back inside. I'm not dressed for these winds."

Terra made to leave, and he let her go without another word.

X

In the morning before her training started, Terra leaded against her door and listened. Boton's bright chirp of a voice pierced the air all the way from the kitchen, and Terra didn't want to risk breakfast until she had left.

"It's too bad Koenma had to leave so early yesterday," Boton said. "I'm sure he would have enjoyed spending more time here. Or at least more time away from his duties." Her laughed bounced around the temple. It was annoying to say the least.

"She's not likely to leave before lunch."

Terra jumped at the sound of Hiei's voice, low and slightly muffled from the other side of her door. _How did he even know I was listening?_ she wondered. Terra opened her door, but he was already gone. With a sigh she headed towards the dojo, opting to skip breakfast. It wasn't that she disliked Boton, she barely knew her. But after last night Terra didn't want to be in her presence, expecting the blue haired reaper to pull a pity party. Boton didn't come across as someone who knew tact or when to let things go.

The idea of Keiko's face was worse. When she had walked in on them on the computer, Keiko had looked at Terra with such guilt and sorrow and _heartbreak_. She wondered how much Keiko had pieced together and how much she simply understood by being a girl, a human, and in love.

"It's not good to skip meals," Genkai scolded when she joined Terra in the dojo.

Terra was surprised when Genkai produced a bowl of rice with a strip of fish on top. "Thanks," she said, taking the food.

Genkai snorted. "Eat fast, but try not to throw up during training."

"Will do," Terra said with a grin.

Terra didn't know if Genkai had been filled in on the night's events, but it didn't matter much. The simple fact that Genkai didn't bring it up or her not going into the kitchen with the others there was enough quite understanding for Terra to accept. "You know," Terra said between bites, "I like you." Terra took another bite before continuing. "Yusuke and all the demons you've trained go on and on about you being some evil hag, but you're not. You're tough, true, but," Terra shrugged. "You're nice."

"Maybe I've just gone soft in my old age," she joked.

X

Boton had left by the time Genkai let Terra out for lunch. There was a bit of an awkward silence as they all sat down to a meal. Tomio broke it quickly with a cry for his own meal. Yusuke's eyes followed his wife as she made an exit.

"When are you guys leaving?" Terra asked, breaking Yusuke out of his reverie.

"After we clean up lunch. You guys too, right?" Yusuke asked Kuwabara and Yukina.

The couple nodded, mad grins ever present on their faces. Well, on Kuwabara's. Yukina's face held an elegant smile but pure bliss emanated from her eyes. "Five weeks in Australia," he cheered.

"It's wonderful this time of year, nice and warm," Terra said. The words left her before she even really thought about it.

"You've been?" Yukina asked.

Terra nodded, eyes gluing to her half eaten dish. "Jeremy was Australian. I went with him over winter break last year," she explained. Terra could feel the air stale around her. "It's fine guys," she said and took a drink of her tea. "Yes, it hurts to think about it, but the time we had together was nothing but nice. So stop being sad for me, okay?"

Yukina nodded and tried her best to smile comfortingly. Kuwabara and Yukina still seemed awkward but let things go. Terra was thankful. Their sad reactions only made things hurt more. Jeremy had been the one to help her when her parents died. He had treated her normally, and he loved her. Terra didn't have the hope or the want to find somebody to love her now, but she needed someone to treat her normally.

Terra stood and cleared her plate. "Enjoy your honeymoon," she told the couple and left. Terra passed Keiko on the way out. She said goodbye to Tomio, but no one else.

Terra did end up saying proper goodbyes to them all. She stood next to Genkai outside to see them off before training started up again.

_Five weeks_, she thought to herself. Despite her little interaction with the rest of them, five weeks still felt like a long time without Kuwabara or Yusuke's laugh, or Keiko and Yukina's kindness. Five weeks was a long time to be alone with Genkai and Hiei.

X

For the next three days, Genkai trained Terra with a fierceness she had lacked in their previous sessions. Terra wondered if it was due to her comment about her being nice, but never said anything. She noticed how Genkai's cough was getting worse as each day passed. A part of her was afraid the pickup in the training was because Genkai was worried about how long _she _was able to last.

On the fourth day her coughing fit persisted, but it wasn't until the fifth day that Terra was able to force the old woman to bed. "You're not well," she repeated. "You're straining yourself. Training me and the wedding on top of it has been too much excitement."

"You're not a doctor," she croaked with a smack to the back of Terra's head.

"Then maybe I'll call back Kurama," Terra threated.

The old woman grumbled but settled into bed. "Call Hiei," she said.

Terra didn't need to. As she rose and turned to the door, the dark demon was already there. She wondered how he had come so close without feeling his icy energy. Even as he walked towards Genkai, Terra could feel nothing but the normal demon sense and the fire from his body. She gained no clues from his face, which was as expressionless as ever. Although, the fiery red of his eyes held a hint of sadness, or maybe Terra was just imagining it, she couldn't be sure.

"Your human body is giving out on you," he said simply, no hint of malice in his curt voice.

Genkai barked a note of laughter. "It would seem that way." Genkai locked eyes with Terra. "Unfortunately, despite my protests, I've become old. And you're right, I should be in bed." She didn't sound happy about the idea. For someone as active as Genkai, the thought of bed rest was practically a sin. "For making me, you bring this on yourself."

She turned back to Hiei. "I want you to continue her training for me."

Terra visibly stiffened. Genkai was tough, but Hiei was ruthless. She was still covered in bruises from his one day substitution. There was a reason she chose a dress with long sleeves and wore opaque tights for the wedding.

Hiei, beside her, sneered at the idea. "I don't see why you care so much about the stupid woman. She's still weak despite her time here."

Terra kept her face calm, ignoring the insults Hiei said as if she hadn't even been present.

"You don't give the girl enough credit," Genkai said with a cough.

"You've never been one to give anybody credit," the demon remarked. He cocked his head to the side like a dog trying to better hear a whistle. "It's not something as trivial as you both being female, is it?" He sounded disgusted as if Genkai were dirtying herself for stooping so low.

Genkai merely laughed and gave him a sharp look. "Don't be so foolish, Hiei. I see her potential, and I train all of my pupils for at least six months."

"Hn," Hiei said standing up. "It doesn't matter. I won't train the thing."

"I'm not a _thing_," Terra snapped, coming to her feet to face him.

He glared at her with hatred behind his eyes. "You're a human. You're nothing."

"Genkai's a huma-," but before she could construct her argument Hiei cut her off.

"Human and dying at an age that is less than my own. Your kind is weak and any training to make you stronger won't be worth my time." He turned to Genkai with a stone face. "I did the one day as a favor, but taking over is out of the question."

Throughout this Genkai seemed calm, as if all was going as she had planned. A small smile graced her features and she looked at Hiei with all the strength she once possessed. Still, she didn't say a word.

A part of Terra wanted to yell at him for his words, but she didn't. She hadn't even wanted him to take over; it was just principle that made her angry. So she bit her tongue and knelt again and poured Genkai a cup of tea.

"It's fine," she told Genkai. "I wouldn't want him teaching me anyway." Genkai took her cup still looking as if she had won and smiled. "I'm going to call Kurama so he can come and take a look at you. I'm not a doctor, but you are sick, that much is obvious."

As if to prove her point, Genkai had a short coughing fit, nearly spilling her tea. When she stopped, Terra could hardly believe the triumphant look still held in her eyes.

"Why do you look like you've just won a deal with the devil?" Terra asked, trying to figure out what she's missed.

"Because I have."

Terra looked up to Hiei, who still stood by her side, seeking answers in his face. His sneer had grown in size and Terra thought she imagined a growl of a feral animal coming from his throat. When his eyes snapped to hers she flinched instinctively.

"What did I miss?" she asked, looking between the two in confusion.

Genkai sipped her tea and smirked. "Hiei will train you."

Before Terra could ask what changed Hiei's mind, he had left, a chill from his energy shooting through her for just a moment as he walked away. Her eyes stayed on the doorway not understanding any of what just happened.

"What do you have on him?" she wondered out loud.

Genkai shook her head. "You."

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

There's so much I'm not telling you. I will though. Promise.

Also, I haven't even tried rereading this and editing, so I'm sorry for any flubs. If you find any tell me and I'll fix them.

Thanks _**Shiningheart_of_ThunderClan**_ and _**ssw-rawr**_ for the reviews!

Thanks everyone for reading. Hope you're enjoying.


	13. Chapter 13

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**In the Wake of What Follows**

_**Chapter Thirteen**_

Terra sat in her room that night, staring out the window instead of risking the roof. She didn't want to chance an encounter with Hiei. Genkai's words tumbled through her mind over and over again.

_He may not seem to care about things, but he's a curious creature. He only wants to understand what intrigues him. And you intrigue him, just as you intrigue me._

Even though Genkai explained, she had a hard time grasping how she was so interesting. So her energy hasn't manifested physically, does that really matter? There was more to it than that. It was obvious in the way Genkai talked that she wasn't telling her something, What, Terra could only guess.

She sat up all night, the mystery tugging at the back of her mind. Plus with the lack of visiting the roof as had become her habit, Terra could never seem to get comfortable enough to really sleep. Terra was up and dressed before the sun had made its way back through her window. The lack of rest was evident in her eyes.

Terra went to the bathroom and washed her face. The cool water was refreshing enough to keep her eyes open, but she was unable to stifle the oncoming storm of yawns. Not that she tried to stop them. From her years of vocal and breath training Terra knew that a yawn was just the body's way of taking in excess oxygen to help keep it awake. However, as she ate her breakfast later that morning, the tired breaths were not welcome.

Genkai wacked the end of her chopsticks on Terra's wrist the third time she yawned at the table. "Stop that," she commanded. "If you're going to complain about my health then I'm going to start scolding you on your awful sleeping habits. I'm always surprised you're able to stay awake after our training enough to bathe, but then you stay up longer, get up early," she grumbled. "Yusuke would always just pass out. I'm obviously not working you hard enough."

Terra shook her head. "I don't sleep well, haven't for a long while." She didn't mention her nightmares that usually plagued her sleep and made her fear closing her eyes at night. She didn't mention what Genkai had mentioned about her energy or Hiei's new role as sensei. Terra felt that Genkai already knew what troubled her sleep. The old woman wasn't a fool, after all.

"Hmph," was her reply.

When they had finished eating, Terra made sure Genkai went back to bed before heading to the dojo. She seemed annoyed at this, but Terra didn't care as long as Genkai was resting. "I'll tell Kurama to bring you up some good books when he comes tomorrow," she said while exiting the room.

"Books," Terra heard her grumble.

X

Hiei was waiting for her when she entered the dojo. He pushed himself off the wall like a shadow come to life.

"Double your weights," he said, not really looking at her.

Genkai had started her on weight training about a week and a half ago, strapping 4 kilograms to her wrists and ankles. At first, Terra could barely move with the extra 35 pounds. She still struggled at times. The idea of a full 70 pounds pulling her down as she tried to block Hiei's vicious attacks was a frightening one.

But Terra didn't let that show. She went to the closet on the far side of the room and took out the weighted cuffs.

"And the poles," he added.

She hadn't used them since the first time Hiei trained her, but obliged nonetheless, tossing the second pole over to her demon instructor. He caught it without looking.

Keeping a wary eye on him, she made her way from the closet and to the center of the room. The last time Hiei had instructed her, he had attacked before she knew what was going on. Terra didn't want to be caught off guard with him again. Despite her caution he still managed to surprise her, though not by his attack.

"Relax your shoulders," he said. His voice was commanding, but almost soft.

Terra stood, frozen in the center of the room, noticing how tense she had become in his presence. When she wasn't able to loosen up he gave an irritated tsk and pushed off the wall. He walked her way and internally Terra's heart sped and muscles tightened even more.

"You'll only hurt yourself like that," he said, stopping only a yard away. The pole in his hands rested against his shoulder lazily. "If someone were to attack you now it would tear at your muscles and cause you to use too much energy. Relax." Hiei's eyes snapped up to meet hers.

It was a challenge. Terra took it. Under his nerving gaze she let her muscles smooth down her back and released her shoulders back, letting her chest open up. It was hard with her body wanting to brace itself from a barrage of attacks expected from the demon before her.

"Hold out your pole." She did. Hiei tied a strip of red cloth at the end of it and signaled for her pull it back to herself. "These poles are for practice, like wooden swords, and the end of with the tie is where the blade would be. The weapon is called a naginata. I figured it appropriate as it is favored by women fighters in this era. Everyone should know how to use a weapon," Hiei said. "If you master one, you should be able to understand how most all work, which will help you defend yourself when needed."

He studied her face for a moment before his lips tweaked in a frown. "You're confused." It wasn't a question, it was a statement of disbelief. Terra could pick that much up from his tone of voice.

"Not at what you're saying," she replied hesitantly.

"Then what?"

"Well, compare this to last time," she prompted.

Hiei's expression didn't change, but Terra could see a shadow of an eye roll threatening to his features. Everything about his look screamed he couldn't stand her stupidity and inferiority. "Last time I was gauging your strength and ability for myself," he said brusquely.

"And?"

"And what?"

"What did you assess?" she asked in earnest.

"Hn." Hiei crossed his arms, the pole resting between his shoulder and elbow, and stared her down. "You may be gaining in strength, but when put into practice you would be killed. You have no instincts for combat."

Terra merely nodded. It sounded accurate enough. To this response Hiei narrowed his eyes. He couldn't grasp why someone wouldn't defend themself when called weak.

"Genkai has been training you to gain strength and stamina. She's also informed me of your dabbling in martial arts." A sound like a humorous laugh passed his lips. "While you absorb stances and movements quickly, without a sparring partner your work in that area is about as proficient as one of your little dances," he sneered.

Terra tried her hardest not to blush. She hated the idea that he had seen her dance, although she knew he had. It wasn't as if dancing was something sacred to her, but it was one of the few things she was good at. She didn't like that she was being judged by him on that. Fighting was different; it wasn't a specialty of hers, but of his. To compare the two seemed wrong.

Terra spun the pole in her hands like a color guard flag a few times in an attempt to distract herself. When she stopped and focused again on Hiei, he seemed to be waiting for a reaction she wouldn't give.

"So, how do you use this thing?" she asked.

With his own pole, he slammed hers level, nearly toppling her over in the process. With an almost gentle aggression, he adjusted her stance with the pole and brash comments. "Ground yourself," he snarled when his actions almost knocked her over again.

Terra did, an almost instant change taking over her body as her feet planted and her center of gravity shifted. "That's something I got yelled at a lot during my acting training," she explained.

When Hiei was finally satisfied with her beginning stance, he stood in front of her and told her to hold it. That was something Genkai had done a lot. After some time, he took his pole and took the stance.

"Follow my movements," he commanded.

Hiei moved painstakingly slowly. It was like a frame by frame and Terra's limbs could hardly handle the weight he had put on them. Still, she refused to even shake. In near unison they moved with such intensity it deafened out the silence between them.

They went on that way through lunch, taking the strike combo over and over with only the slightest increase in speed. Rarely would Hiei speak up, but when he did it was to tell her to adjust her grip, bend her knee more, relax her shoulders, or some other aliment in her stance.

Genkai joined them at some point, overseeing the first day's progress. It took a moment before Terra noticed her and in the few seconds she had been distracted Hiei darted to a mere foot away and held the edge of his pole just under her chin. Terra gulped. His speed scared her.

"You cannot afford to not pay attention, _ever_," he near snapped.

Terra moved her head out of the way of his wooden weapon carefully before nodding.

At a normal pace, Hiei moved back to where he had been instructing her and carried on. Terra followed. Her movements were precise but her mind fogged with the thought of Hiei moving faster than her eye could see.

X

"Hiei's a very impatient person," Genkai told Terra over dinner. "I was surprised with how he handled you today."

"You're not the only one," Terra scoffed. "He apparently is actually intent on teaching me instead of just pounding the shit out of me like last time." Terra noticed Genkai smirk as she lifted her tea to her lips. "What?" she questioned.

Genkai drank her tea, taking her time with that wicked triumph in her eyes before answering. "Curiosity and impatience leads to anger and frustration. Not all curiosity can be satisfied so quickly."

"Is that a remark on me or Hiei?" Terra asked with a sarcastic roll of her eye. She didn't see the reason of Genkai becoming so cryptic all of a sudden.

"Do you like the weapon?" Genkai asked.

Terra shrugged, annoyed Genkai was changing subject but not enough to push it. "I guess what Hiei said makes sense. If I can master one then I'll have a better understanding of how a weapon user may attack and be better able to defend myself."

Genkai nodded slightly in agreement. "You're quite reasonable," she said contemplatively.

Terra shrugged. She didn't consider herself reasonable, but she supposed she was. Terra was a logical person controlled by her emotions, or sometimes the other way around. Inner turmoil was a constant state as she tried to ration out her feelings. Her feelings drove her, but logic gave her a road which she insisted on following.

Right now the road was the reasonable explanation of learning a weapon. And, as it was still just a stick, it felt like more of her martial arts training. In essence, it was. Terra wanted to be stronger in every way possible, and she had become so much stronger over just a month of being here. Still, she couldn't live up to what she was comparing herself with.

But she wasn't a fighter. And as much as her emotions were driving her to push her limits and grain strength in any way offered, the idea of a weapon didn't sit right with her. She wasn't a fighter. She was a mediator, a peace maker among her old friends. Stubborn in her own right, but as non-confrontational as she could manage. Learning a weapon implied later using it. Terra never wanted a reason to fight.

The night she, Jeremy, and Conner were attacked flooded her memory. Had she had a weapon would the outcome changed? Conner and Jeremy were pretty strong in their own right, though nothing compared to Hiei or Yusuke or any of the others. Would Terra have to have been at a level higher than human in order to save her friends from those demons? Or would none of it make a difference.

Suddenly Terra found herself wondering why she had returned to the temple at all.

"You look troubled," Genkai remarked.

"I'm always troubled," was Terra's only reply before they fell back into silence.

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

Sorry this took so long and that's it's shorter than normal. School's been crazy and I've had a hard time concentrating on it whenever I did get a chance to work on it.

I hope you're all enjoying the slowly growing cliche's. As original as I try to be, it's near impossible to avoid them, especially for the type of story I'm going for.

Thanks **_ssw-rawr_**_, **Shiningheart_of_ThunderClan**_, and _**CasualHipster**_ for the reviews!

Thanks for reading! Until next time.


	14. Chapter 14

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**In the Wake of What Follows**

_**Chapter Fourteen**_

Terra's training was interrupted the next day by the arrival of Kurama. Half way through her combination, Terra stopped suddenly with the feel of this new energy.

"You're only now sensing him?" Hiei questioned with a sneer.

She snapped out of her reverie by his words. "I've never felt his energy before," she admitted.

Hiei frowned, that is, if you can count the subtle twitch of his lips such an expression as frowning. Terra read it as such, at least.

"We'll have to spend more time on that," he said after a moment. Hiei tossed his pole to the side of the room and headed to the door. "Leave your weights on," he instructed before going to meet Kurama.

Terra dropped her pole and followed her instructor out. The chill of the outside felt like a comforting blanket on her hot skin. She had been sweating hard from the training. Terra was really feeling the work of the weights on her muscles from the training the day before and that morning. She went to sit as they waited for Kurama to appear, but no such luck.

"You sit down and you have to do leg lifts," Hiei warned as she was about to slump herself onto the floor. With a sigh and a heave, Terra stood back up. "Now stand up straight." She groaned inwardly and rolled her shoulders back, straining against the weight on her wrists.

Luckily, it wasn't long before Kurama appeared. Terra first caught sight of his red hair, ever glistening off the play of light from the sun and snow. His figure moved so gracefully that he didn't come across as human despite the human body he was in. Kurama was like an elf more than a demon, Terra thought.

When he saw her his eyes opened just the slightest bit wider and he walked a little faster. "Terra," he said once close enough, "you shouldn't be outside in this weather in such attire. You'll catch sick."

The cooling sensation the outside brought after such a workout was so nice, Terra hadn't thought twice about stepping out in just a tee-shirt. She was suddenly reminded of her mother yelling at her to put her coat and sweatpants on over her dance tights and leotard before heading to the car after lessons during the winter. Terra never wanted to. As much as she loved being warm, stuffy, almost too hot, when she did become overheated nothing felt better than a cooling shock, like ice on a burn.

"I'm fine," she said somewhat distantly, although her words did nothing for her.

Kurama ushered her inside with Hiei at his tail. With the cold behind them, the three walked the corridors to Genkai's room. She was still in bed, although sitting up and perfectly alert. It comforted Terra to know Genkai still defied her illness, even though she had succumbed to staying in bed at Terra's nagging. Kurama set his bags down, taking out his tools before kneeling by Genkai's bed.

Hiei and Terra stood by the door in silence as Kurama checked Genkai's vitals. He smiled at the old woman as she put her nose up to the treatment. "This is utterly pointless," Genkai grumbled.

"Believe what you will," Kurama replied and took his stethoscope away from her back, "but I'm glad Terra called. I brought some medication with me, predicting what your condition might be. Just don't take it as some miracle remedy. You should continue to stay in bed." He gave the woman a stern look before standing.

Kurama and Hiei's eyes locked for a moment before the red head nodded. Hiei walked over to the old woman and Kurama picked up one of the bags he had put on the floor earlier and signaled for Terra to leave. He led her to one of the nearby tea rooms and pulled up some cushions. Terra gave him a questioning look. There was obviously something going on.

"Hiei wished to speak with Genkai about you, is all," Kurama supplied. "I'm sure it's just about your training."

"What exactly are they keeping from me," Terra said a bit bitterly. She couldn't understand the need for secrecy.

Kurama merely ignored her comment and changed the subject. "You've gotten stronger, if only a little, since the wedding. Still, it's impressive how quickly you're growing."

She shifted uncomfortably after his words as he seated himself. Kurama signaled her to join him, which she did. Between them he pulled over what looked like a brief case from his bag and opened it. Terra was surprised to see a chess set.

"Very worldly of you," Terra said. "If you're expecting a game, I'm sure you'll win. You seem like the genius type."

Kurama laughed but continued to set up the pieces. "Yes, I am expecting a game. I find the conversations one has over a game such as chess to be more illuminating than when one simply talks over tea."

She shook her head in amusement. The game of chess seemed to so fit with Kurama it was laughable. "I do know how to play mahjong, you know. And Reversei. Although I'm terrible at Go, for whatever reason."

Kurama paused his hand as the black queen touched the board in its proper place. "I have those games as well, if you'd care to change."

Terra shook her head, but this time in dismissal. "Chess is fine. I'm probably better at it than the other games, anyway. I'm best at backgammon though."

"Alas, a game I did not bring with me."

"That's fine. We can play chess if you really want to. Spoiler alert, you're going to win."

"Don't admit defeat before you begin," he said with a coy half smile. She hadn't seen such a look grace the good doctor before. The smile was near predatory. It fit him eerily well.

Terra helped set up the rest of the pieces. Kurama made the first move.

"What's wrong with Genkai?" she questioned, moving her first pawn.

Kurama shook his head. "She's just old and getting sick just takes its toll much harsher on a frail body. I wouldn't worry. She's pulled through such illnesses before."

Terra believed him, she did, but the look on his face told her that Genkai may not pull out of this one as easily. Staring at the chess board, Terra frowned. She didn't know what she was supposed to do without Genkai. True, Hiei was training her, but it was Genkai that drew her back to the temple in the first place.

"How old is she?" Terra asked having recalled something Hiei said.

"Almost ninety," Kurama said.

_Hiei's older than ninety?_ The idea seemed ridiculous. He didn't look much older than herself. True, he acted like someone older than his looks, but not that old, just like someone that had to mature quickly.

"How old are you?"

"This body is thirty years old. But my age, I don't' know. Years blur during such long times. Maybe nearing three hundred," he mused trying to recall the whole of his past."

Terra had placed her hand on her knight before he gave the reference of three hundred years. Now she was frozen looking at the red headed demon with an unfathomable number of years behind him. She was silent for some time, simply staring with eyes that weren't really seeing anything.

"Are you alright?" he questioned.

She closed her eyes and breathed for a moment. When she opened them again, Terra moved her hand to her bishop instead and moved it three paces. "That's a long time. It makes things seem so pointless. At the same time, God, what I could do with three hundred years."

"And what would that be?" he asked, moving his queen.

Terra shrugged a bit and tried to figure out the board. "Read. I would have time to read and not be worrying that I'm wasting my time. Although, I guess now that I'm here and not doing anything with my life, I could very easily do just that. But, who knows really? But I would definitely be able to do more in three hundred years if in that time I was still as able bodied and right in my mind as you than the life I've been given."

They played with a comfortable quite between them for a while. "You're really not all that bad at this game," Kurama said.

Terra laughed dryly. "My first boyfriend said something similar."

"Really?"

She nodded and moved her pawn. "He really liked chess, it was late one night and we played a game. I was tired and moved pieces about and we got trapped in an endless me putting him into check, but if I wanted to win I had to make a risker move. When I finally did he won maybe four moves later, I don't know." Terra took one of Kurama's pawns and sighed. "The problem with chess is that you're supposed to be at least two steps ahead of your partner. Seeing how you can see at least ten moves ahead, I would have to see at least twelve, and I can barely see two. I make every move simply to avoid a capture that could happen in the next move. I'm so stuck in the present with chess, and that's why I will always lose."

"Being in the present isn't a bad thing in real life," he commented.

"No, but it's in real life where I'm always overthinking the future. Or, at least, I used to. But my plans never matched up to what events occurred. Right now, all I'm trying to do is forget my past."

"Forgetting what's been done can't help strategy planning," he said, knocking off her queen.

Terra nodded and moved her knight. "I'm more of a puzzle person, I guess."

"An understatement, to say the least."

Terra looked up and cocked an eyebrow. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"You are quite the puzzle of person." Terra opened her mouth to respond when Kurama placed down his rook. "Check mate."

"Good game," Terra said, rolling her eyes. "You find our conversation very illuminating?"

Kurama smiled, a kinder one than he had given her before the game. "Yes."

X

Terra sat meditating in the training room trying to shake the feeling of Hiei's stare on her and relax. Kurama was still at the temple, playing another game of chess with Genkai. After her game had finished, Hiei appeared and dragged her back to training having "wasted enough time already" as he said.

According to Hiei, Terra wasn't reading energies normally, and he wanted to get to the bottom of that. What was normal about reading energies, Terra had no idea, but obviously something about her lead them to believe she was different.

Terra shot her eyes open. "Okay, I can't do this. Stop staring at me. It feels weird."

She looked over to her instructor who had raised his eyebrow slightly at the outburst. After a moment of the two having locked eyes, Hiei shut his. It surprised her. The action came across as trust and understanding, two emotions Terra never expected from Hiei, especially towards her. After another moment of her shock, the illusion was broken by a twitch of his cheek.

Quickly, Terra turned her head forward and closed her eyes again. Losing herself was much easier this time. Doing as Genkai had always instructed, Terra focused on her energy and brought it to her hands. As always, it stayed in her and refused to push past the physical barrier.

"What does your energy feel like?" Hiei asked.

The question nearly shook her out of her trance. What _did _her energy feel like? She wasn't sure. "It feels like the way a powerful song affects me," she said at last. It wasn't a very logical explanation, or one that could be grasped easily. The only thing she could compare her energy too was another unexplainable emotion.

Hiei didn't seem pleased with this answer, but he didn't press it further. "What does my energy feel like?"

Terra had told him only a few days ago that his energy was cold and sharp, but right now, when she tried to focus on it, she could feel none of that. She could feel the heat from his body as if she sat by a bon fire, and under that she felt his energy. It was calm and confused and pressing rather than sharp, neither cold nor hot. "Luke warm," she said, "and heavy."

"What did Kurama's energy feel like when you first sensed it today?" he asked without seeming the slightest surprised by her answer.

"Like, oh I don't know," Terra said, becoming frustrated by her lack of words. How was she supposed to explain an energy that felt like speed, like running without tire, the feeling of racing with a hint of the scent of the flowers on the wind? "It felt like adrenaline," she finally said. Terra began to get a headache. She had been getting them lately from her lack of sleep, but frequency didn't make it any less aggravating.

"Stop resisting," Hiei said.

"Resisting what?"

She could hear him sigh, the most minute of sounds in the empty room. Instead of answering, Hiei went back to asking about energies. "Can you name Genkai's energy? How does it differ from mine?"

But Terra was left without an answer. She couldn't recall having felt Genkai's energy. When she told Hiei, he seemed impatient with her.

"Look," she finally said, opening her eyes and standing, "I don't know what you're expecting from me here. I'm pretty new to this whole energy thing. The most I've _ever_ been able to do was feel weird when a demon was around. It was something that scared me. But now I've gotten accustomed to that weird feeling, so I'm not scared anymore by it in particular and I can identify that weird feeling as that of a demon. That's it. I don't know how you read energy, or anything, so I don't know what you're so upset about."

The sound of Kurama clearing his throat caught her attention. She and Hiei turned to the dojo doorway where the red head was leaning against the frame, obviously having been listening for some time.

"She's right, you know," he said looking at Hiei. "She can't possibly improve when she doesn't know what it is she's supposed to be doing."

"It should be instinctual," Hiei countered, but Kurama waved him off.

Setting his eyes on Terra, Kurama gave her one of his doctor smiles she was beginning to hate. "Demons and humans with psychic abilities are generally able to sense two things in terms of energy. One, whether or not the energy is demon energy or spirit energy, and two, the general sense of strength. Nothing exact when it comes to power, but able to class them easily enough without having to test their strength in a fight."

Terra took this in trying to put pieces of a puzzle together.

"You," Kurama continued, "seem only able to sense when demon energy is nearby and not where it's coming from or who it's coming from. Until you met Hiei, if Genkai's recollection of your first day back is anything to go by."

He was right. Just as she began walking down the corridor where Hiei was, his energy was so sharp and cold it literally stopped her in her tracks.

"Now, not sensing me as a demon, or Yusuke for that matter, can be explained simply by lack of training with your energy, as we both reside technically in human bodies. The fact that you felt my energy today and had it so distinguished from that of a normal demon, maybe that means something?"

"Like what?" she asked, feeling like a caged animal they wanted to experiment with.

"I don't know. Have you sensed anybody's energy besides mine and Hiei's in a way that it was distinguishable?" Kurama asked. Terra shook her head. She could tell by the look on his face that his mind was racing. "I don't know," he repeated.

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

GAH! It's been so long. School is super busy at the moment. I also work and am teching play at the moment. I barely have time to sleep. But I opened this last night and was actually able to get through it. It's not as good as it could be, so for that I'm sorry, but I got what I needed to for the chapter done.

Hope you like it!

Thanks _**Shiningheart_of_ThunderClan**_, _**Australia**_, a lovely _**Anon**_, and _**SuiLon434**_ for the reviews! It means a lot.

Until next time (which is hopefully sooner than later)


	15. Chapter 15

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**In the Wake of What Follows**

_**Chapter Fifteen**_

Terra sat on top of the roof, her legs dangling over the edge and her eyes fixed onto the palms of her hands. They were beginning to blister from her work with the pole and she wasn't allowed to bandage them until they were more calloused. She didn't have that problem with her feet. From all her years of dancing, they were practically rocks. Terra recalled the few times she had gotten a pedicure and how the nail technician would scrub at her heels in aggravation, and still leave her feet not as smooth as they'd like.

She sighed and brought her gaze up to the last rays of the setting sun. Kurama had left earlier that evening without much more of an explanation on all things confusing about Terra's energy. It was slightly infuriating, but she kept her emotions in check around them. Even now as her stomach clenched in frustration and confusion, nothing but docile tiredness could be seen on her face.

Terra went over it again in her mind. What was normal: sensing energy types as demon or human; sensing strength. What she felt: demonic energy; Hiei's energy in terms of temperature; and now Kurama's energy in terms of adrenaline and scent. Then there were all the times she didn't feel Hiei's energy at all. Maybe it was because the temperature of his energy matched the temperature of the room? Although, why his energy would be that way, she couldn't piece together. There was also the matter she had only just begun to sense Kurama's energy. It didn't make sense, any of it.

Hiei had said they would work more on sensing energy levels, but Kurama had shook his head at the idea. Seeing how her energy wasn't acting like normal energy (_as if there were such a thing_, Terra thought), Kurama thought it best to let it grow naturally and see where it goes and not to force it. It wasn't wanting to make a physical appearance, it didn't read things naturally, and Kurama thought it best to just let it be. Anomalies couldn't be helped.

While him calling her an anomaly didn't make her feel good about herself, she supposed he was right. There was probably nothing they could do until it manifested more. That didn't stop her from being curious as to why it was so weird though.

Terra thought back to the day she returned to the temple. Hiei's energy was so harsh and sudden it had stopped her in her tracks. That same day he had interrupted her training.

Then something clicked. Genkai had called Hiei's energy angry. _"You're energy's so angry it knocked out all the work we've been doing,"_ Genkai had scolded when Hiei's appearance make Terra lose focus. Genkai could sense that. It was a harsh, dark, cold energy, and Genkai could read that it was angry. It may not have been cold to her, but the sharpness and its strength probably were. Terra had before made the assumption that the sharp cold meant he was angry. And Hiei had been angry when she came here. He had come to the temple after the death of the demon that gave him those scars on his chest. Although Hiei had never been really definitive in his answers, she had gathered he _had_ cared for that demon, like she suggested.

Terra racked her brain for other instances where his energy was exceptionally cold, but being around him so often made it hard to differentiate. His energy had become less sharp, less frozen over time, like he was healing from his heartbreak. But there were still times where he seemed angry and the cold shot through Terra like a drench of ice water.

But today it had been lukewarm. She hadn't even sensed it until he asked her to. Maybe that was the way it felt on those occasions he had entered a room without her knowing. That was the feeling of Hiei being calm. Maybe.

It was still all speculation at this point. And it didn't explain why she never sensed any other demon's in the same way, or why she now felt Kurama's. There were so many questions that just couldn't be answered.

The crunch of snow took Terra out of her thoughts. She snapped her head around in surprise. Hiei had landed on the roof and was walking to take his seat next to her. He was still that lukewarm she could only feel when she searched for it.

He sat down, the powder of snow turning into a puddle from his contact.

_You're a fire demon, and yet you always seem so cold._

Hiei sat in silence, staring at the horizon. It was as if she wasn't even there, despite how fixed on him her eyes were. She was sure he felt her gaze.

"In training tomorrow, I want you to keep your energy focused," he said suddenly, shocking her. Terra looked out to the tree line and waited for him to explain. "The way Genkai has you focus your energy, it doesn't want to escape your skin, so don't let it. Let your energy flow through you with your movements."

Terra nodded in response, which she was sure he saw despite not looking at her.

"Is that what you discussed with Genkai this morning?" She took his silence to mean no, or rather, he wouldn't tell either way. "I don't understand why you need to keep secrets from me if they're about me. Kurama even agreed I can't improve if I don't know what it is I'm trying to change."

"Hn," was the only response she got.

After some silence, she turned her head back to the fire apparition. "Why are you training me?"

At this he turned his eyes her way, his head still looking forward. He seemed to be questioning her with that simple look, so she elaborated.

"You told Genkai you wouldn't, that I was a waste of your time. Then you two had a stare off and apparently she won. What changed your mind?"

"Hn," he huffed again, looking back over forest. "There's a saying you humans have, though I've known demons to use the expression and certainly the concept. Friends close, enemies closer."

"So I'm an enemy?" she questioned with an incredulous expression.

Terra could almost see Hiei shake his head, although it was too slight for her to be certain. "Hardly strong enough to be a threat, but I still don't trust you."

She held back a sigh of frustration and a roll of her eyes. "I didn't expect you to."

"Because you shouldn't be trusted?" he jeered.

The tone of voice surprised her. She couldn't tell if he was serious or simply mocking her. It was almost teasing, but she certainly never expected that from Hiei. Still, he seemed to be expecting a reply.

Standing, she began to walk to her spot where she could easily climb down. "I've hidden nothing," she said.

He was gone before she reached the ground.

X

Terra was having a hard time keeping her energy focused when she had to keep her mind just as sharp. Apparently she had graduated from learning how to wield the naginata to combat, though she was still using the pole with a cloth tied to the end. She knew Hiei was going deathly slow with her, but it was still nearing too fast for her to keep up.

It took a lot of brain power for her to think to block this way if he swung that way. More often than not she wasn't quick enough and Hiei whacked her. Bruises were already beginning to show. Never was she able to see an opportunity to attack, even when Hiei apparently "made it obvious" as he often growled at her when she missed her chance. There was just too much to concentrate on, and once again Hiei earned a hit, this time knocking her to the ground.

He held his pole against her throat, his eyes seemingly burning in abhorrence. "Even against a human you would have died," he spat.

Terra pushed his stick away and sat up, more than slightly panting. "And yet I'm alive," she said spitefully.

Hiei gave the slightest jerk of his head giving the impression of a dog picking its ears up. She watched him with curiosity, expecting a harsh retort. None came.

"Lunch," he said and stalked out of the room.

For a moment she wondered if he called the break for her, his own hunger, or Genkai. Having never seen the demon eat, she probably would never know. Letting such thoughts go, Terra made her way to the kitchen and prepared a meal for herself and the woman stuck in bed.

X

"He's going easy on you," she huffed, moving her rook. They had started a game of chess to pass the time while they ate. Kurama had left all of his board games, but Genkai needed a partner to make use of them. They took use of her lunch hour to play a game. Sometimes it was mahjong, but normally chess.

Terra was happy to see the stack of books by her bedside had made its way into two piles, though. She was sure it was a comfort even if the old woman wasn't huge into reading. It seems Genkai has gotten through a few of them already.

"Why do you say that?" Terra asked, her face still flush from the morning training.

"You're coloring has already gone back to normal."

Terra's pale skin easily turned bright red when exercising, and after Genkai's sessions, she was likely to stay that way for some time. She was into her second week of training with Hiei, and it had been her third day in combat. Genkai had a point. Terra couldn't remember getting as badly red with Hiei as she had with the old woman.

"Maybe I've just gained endurance," Terra suggested with a half a laugh.

Genkai shook her head. "Then he should step up the training."

Terra shook her head quickly. "I'd die. I don't think I can handle any more than what we're already doing. He won't even let me take my weights off when we're not training."

"Good," was her reply.

"You're both crazy," Terra said, as she placed her knight down.

Genkai smirked and sipped her tea, calculating her next move of the game.

"I never did ask," Terra began, staring at the board. "What do you think about my weird energy business?"

She had wanted to ask earlier, and every lunch and dinner and moment of time together since Kurama's visit, Terra couldn't get the words out. It was as if she were afraid of Genkai's thoughts towards the matter. Terra knew it probably just made her more interesting to Genkai, but still, the idea that she was somehow a freak amongst demons and psychics made her worry.

"It's interesting," she said, moving her pawn. "I told Hiei my thoughts, he seems to agree it could be a possibility."

"And what are your thoughts?" Terra probed.

"I believe the way you sense energy is tied to the way your energy is used for."

"Well, that's extremely vague," Terra said with disappointment, moving her knight again.

Genkai took her tea in hand and drank from it. "Yes, well, maybe Kuwabara was right and your energy isn't used for fighting, or not in the way mine, Yusuke, and Kuwabara's are."

"What do you mean?"

"You were still in America at the time, but when Yusuke was still spirit detective, a group of psychics got together to rip a hole in the barrier between Demon world and Human world, centering itself here in Japan not far from where the gang lived. At that time, due to the increased amount of demon energy pouring into this realm, a number of people with untapped psychic abilities, like yourself, began to realize their potential. At that time, had you been here, you're powers may have manifested far beyond what they are now because of your short death.

"These psychics had very specific powers, and not just a control of spirit energy. Things like, creating space that if you don't obey that person's rules, they could remove your soul." Terra gasped, but Genkai continued. "Others could clone, paralyze by stepping on a shadow, make video games reality, become water, absorb powers, read minds, the list goes on. My point is, these psychics had very specific powers due to the demonic energy they were suddenly being exposed to. More importantly, all of their powers were tied to something about who they were, what they liked to do, what they hated. Psychics like this haven't appeared since. When the barrier between the two worlds was taken down due to a peace treaty between the first winner of the Demon World Tournament and the Spirit Realm, a film like a mosquito net was placed up to keep the energy separate, along with the pests that could turn humans into near zombies."

"But you think I'm like them?" she asked, trying to take in all of this new information as best she could. It went along with the story Yusuke had told her long ago, but his was pretty scattered and more focused on fights than this kind of information. Some of those traits sounded similar to people Yusuke had fought, it sounded like.

"Possibly. There's more demonic energy in the air in Japan than the rest of the world, and that in conjunction with your death could have helped mold your energy into that of a specialized psychic rather than an energy wielder. Although, Kuwabara has both abilities."

"Really?"

Genkai only nodded, not informing her as to what Kuwabara's hidden talent was. She couldn't remember anything from Yusuke's story either. Though, that didn't mean she hadn't been told.

"So, not all energy is used for fighting," Terra concluded, trying to figure out what her energy may be used for.

"No, but most," Genkai replied. "Even the tricks those psychics had were used for their benefit in battle." Genkai moved her queen and smirked. "Check mate."

"Kurama's coming back tomorrow to check up on you," Terra said, scooping up the pieces and putting them away.

Genkai huffed, obviously annoyed by the need for a week by week checkup Kurama had insisted upon before leaving. "I'm fine," she insisted, taking a sip of her tea.

"Genkai, you don't even come out of bed to watch me during training anymore," Terra told her. She had stopped a few days after Kurama's visit. "And I thank you for staying in bed, but that can't possibly be the sign of someone who's fine."

Genkai huffed again and Terra took her plate. _Time for another round of getting my ass kicked,_ Terra groaned inwardly, leaving the company of her old sensei to the brutality of her new one.

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

First off, I would like to thank _**octoberbird**_, _**destinyswindow**_, and _**Shiningheart_of_ThunderClan**_ for the awesome reviews.

Also, for everyone who's been adding my story to their alerts and favorites. I just found out how to see that. (I don't spend a lot of time on my user page unless I'm updating) It means a lot that I have people reading and liking and gah, I just, yeah.

Hope you like the new chapter. Thanks for reading.


	16. Chapter 16

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**In the Wake of What Follows**

_**Chapter Sixteen**_

"Care for a game of backgammon? You had mentioned it last time, so I thought I'd bring it up," Kurama said with a small smile.

Terra could never quite tell if those smiles were genuine, although she could tell they were more real than his doctor smile. She had seen far too many people give that doctor smile, or police man smile, to not be able to pick it out from Kurama's other smiles. It was the type of smile that said "I want you to be comfortable and trust me, but I have bad information that's going to hurt you and I don't really want to be the one to say it." She hated those smiles.

But these small smiles were different. Terra had a feeling Kurama rarely gave anything broader.

"Sounds good."

He had just come from Genkai's room, checking up on her first thing. Terra was preparing them all lunch, but had to put Genkai's in the fridge after Kurama informed her he had given Genkai a sedative. She was looking about the same, but seemed to have been overly exhausted.

"Are you sure it's all right you made her sleep this early?"

Kurama nodded. "I'll give her another one before I leave. She'll wake for dinner and then again for breakfast."

"If you say so."

They set up the board on the kitchen counter, opting to eat there than one of the tea rooms. It felt more homely to Terra compared to the near empty rooms meant for a larger number of people.

"So, tell me about yourself," Terra prompted as they began the game. "Everyone here is always so interested in me because I'm the new kid. You all know each other so well and I don't know much more than what Yusuke told me my first time meeting him."

Kurama nodded, her statement having been truthful. "What would you like to know?"

Terra shrugged. "I don't know. Um…" she thought for a bit, taking the time to move her pieces. "Why did you decide to become a doctor?"

Kurama took his die and rolled. "It seemed logical. I have the intelligence to do so, and in Japan most people strive for high jobs, so it would seem odd if with my school grades I did anything less, shall we say, glamorous than a doctor. Although, I will consent to being drawn to the profession due to my past. I was the cause of much harm and death when I lived as a demon. Having now chosen to live fully as a human, I would like to help heal as many lives as I can."

"Very noble of you," the words were slightly mocking. He was so calculating it was humorous to her. "What's your family like?"

He nodded in agreement. "I have my human mother. I want nothing more than to keep her happy and safe. She took care of me at my weakest, with love and adoration. She's the reason I chose the life of a human."

Terra nodded, thinking of her own mother. They had been close, as many girls are with their moms. "I miss my mom," she said. "I was never very close with my dad, but I miss him too. It's weird. The moment I could get away from home, I did. I wanted to live by myself and when I did I loved it. I was never homesick or missing my parents. I loved change and travel and being away from the boring home. But when they died, it was different. I could be just as far away from home for just as long, but it hurt and I missed them and I wanted nothing more than to be at home with them."

"With the possibility of them being alive, there was the knowledge that you would be able to see them again. It let you be free and still have a place of safety."

Terra nodded. "I suppose."

"My human father died when I was still young. When I was in high school my mother remarried, earning me a stepfather and younger brother. I've made friends with them both, and I care to protect them, but I wouldn't say we have the kind of family relationship others might have after so long."

"What about your demon parents?"

Kurama looked up, surprise just whisking over his features. "I can't say. That was so long ago. My kind live in packs, but I was separated from them not long into my childhood. Demons don't reproduce as often as humans. We have a much longer lifespan and aren't in such a rush to bear offspring in order to maintain species survival. This led to me being the only child in a pack of twenty or so. I'm not even quite sure which of those my parents were."

"Oh," was all she could say in response.

"I've made peace with my past," he said assuring her. In a much lighter tone, he said, "Now you tell me something. A story for a story."

Terra shifted uncomfortably in her seat, moving a few of her pieces. Kurama sighed before rolling his die.

"It's true," he began, "we have pried into your life, but I still feel as if we have barely scratched the surface."

"Few get further." When Kurama moved his pieces, she rolled her die, keeping her eyes on the board. "Let's not talk about me."

"A story for a story," he prompted again.

She looked up into Kurama's brilliant green eyes. She was about to ask him what he wanted to know when the door to the kitchen opened. Terra was surprised by Hiei's appearance, but he looked at her blankly. "Finish your game quickly and resume training." And then he was gone again.

Terra turned to Kurama and rolled her eyes. "I'm surprised he's even letting us finish. He's pulled me away from Genkai, you know. He must like you not to be as rude."

Kurama chuckled. It was a light sound, making the red head seem no more dangerous than a child. "Yes, well, Hiei can be that way."

X

Kurama had left promptly after they had finished their dinner in Genkai's room, giving her another sedative in her drink.

Terra didn't go to the roof that night, but instead opted for her room and her music and Jeremy's notebook. Talking about her parents made her miss him more than anything. When her parents died, they had already attended school together for a semester and were really close friends. Jeremy was the one she called when she was in the hospital and told about her parents' death. She had needed his friendship more than anything when they had died, the sole light in her dark depression.

She had headed toward that light and returned to Japan as soon as possible. Then, with the need for companionship, their relationship evolved. Jeremy was the body that held her when she cried, that let her fall asleep without fear of nightmares haunting her. It was Jeremy that had taken care of her in her time of need.

But now he was gone. And there was no one to take care of her.

Clutching his notebook to her chest, silent tears escaped her. It was the first time she cried for him since his funeral.

That night she dreamed and for once in a long time it wasn't a nightmare, although, it might as well have been. Terra dreamed of Jeremy, of his brilliant smile and loving touch. She woke early the next morning, her cheeks just as wet as when she fell asleep, his notebook laying at the edge of her fingertips.

Terra got up and got ready for the day, putting Jeremy's notebook on her pillow. Her eyes were all red from a night of tears and forgetting to take out her contacts. With an irritated sigh, Terra took them out now and tossed them. It was time for a fresh pair anyway. Terra kept her glasses on as she continued to dress and then headed out for breakfast, eyes too sore to put a new pair of contacts in.

She was surprised to find Hiei in the kitchen, seemingly waiting for her as there was no food in front of him.

"Do you eat?" Terra found herself asking before her brain caught up with her mouth.

"Yes," he replied, giving her a steely look. Whether it was his red eyes or what, Hiei's stare looked murderous.

Terra suppressed a shiver, for once not from his energy, although still from him, and fixed herself some toast. While she waited for the bread to crisp, Terra also went about making eggs and rice for Genkai.

"_What_ do you eat?" Terra asked hesitantly. She wasn't quite sure what demons ate, or at least this particular fire demon. She knew Kurama and Yusuke ate normal food, as well as Jin, Chu, and the rest of the bunch who had attended the wedding. That being said, Yusuke had told her of the one demon he fought that liked children's souls, and how his own father ate humans.

"Meat," Hiei responded, almost over pronouncing the t.

"What kind of meat?"

"Any kind."

Terra let it go after that, not wanting to hear if Hiei had ever tried the human variety.

"There's some sausage links I could fry up if you want them," Terra offered. Hiei gave a noncommittal response. She slid the eggs from the frying pan onto the bowl of rice just as the timer for the toaster oven dinged. "I'm not going to make them unless you tell me yes," she warned. He didn't respond.

Plunging a pair of chopsticks into the eggs on rice, she picked up her toast and shoved it in her mouth. Then she picked the bowl up, toast still dangling from in between her teeth, and headed to Genkai's room.

She was surprised for the second time that morning when Hiei followed her out.

_Weird_, she thought.

Terra knocked twice on Genkai's door before opening. The old woman was still asleep, so Terra placed the bowl down on a tray that still held last night's tea pot. Collecting the teapot, Terra then headed back into the kitchen to refill the water.

"Is there a reason why you're following me?" she asked Hiei as he took his seat again at the counter.

"Why do you take care of her?" he asked. When Hiei spoke, it always seemed to catch her off guard. She never knew what his quite mind was thinking, and he was always straight to the point.

"Because she needs the help, and I'm here living in her house, eating her food. I feel like I should be giving back anyhow. She's taken care of me, so I'm taking care of her."

"Obligation?"

Terra nodded, "Partly. I do most acts of kindness out of what comes down to obligation, although I'm sure I feel more obligated to do things than you do. I also like Genkai, and I want her to be okay, so I take care of her. I always take care of the people I-," but she cut herself off. _Care about_, she thought in the back of her head, burring those words under anything her mind would grasp at. She couldn't say the words out loud. She couldn't. To care would mean Genkai really would die.

"You what?"

Terra shook her head. "Are you going to tell me why you're following me?" she asked before taking her last bite of toast.

Hiei narrowed his red eyes at her. "Your energy's been off since last night," he commented.

"So what, you're checking up on me?" she asked sardonically. Hiei wasn't the type to care. "Off how?"

"It was weaker, as if you were wounded."

Terra smirked, but her eyes were sad. "So you are checking up on me. Who would have thought you to be so kind?" Her words held a sarcastic bite. She didn't mean to come across that way, but it was better than showing Hiei just how wounded she was.

His eyes locked with hers with an intensity that caused her to jump. She wondered if she would ever get used to him. "You've been crying."

Terra's hand went up to her necklace without thinking. Hiei followed her movement with curiosity. He had seen the chain before. She wore it every night and often tugged at it during the times they sat on the roof, but Hiei didn't know of its significance.

"Yeah, well," she said, "it happens." She shook her head and took the teapot off the stove, the water reaching its boiling point. "Anyway, you shouldn't be too shocked if I'm hurt. You should see some of the bruises you gave me."

Terra wore a tank top and long pants, but from her arms alone numerous splotches of dark purple and sickly yellow riddled her skin. Sure, she was utterly pale and bruised easily, but there were so many she doubted she could count them if she wanted to.

Putting her glasses on her head and squinting, Terra poured herself a cup of tea. If she kept them on, they would have fogged up in an instant. The steam hit her face and she reveled in the scent. Terra was as fond of tea as Genkai.

When she put her glasses back on, she nearly dropped the tea pot. Hiei was standing just across the counter from here, staring hard at her face.

"God, Hiei."

"Can you really not see without those things?"

"Yeah, Hiei, I really can't see."

"Then how could you pour the tea?"

Terra rolled her eyes. "Practice. If I hadn't taken my glasses off, my glasses would have fogged up and I wouldn't have been able to see. It was better for everything to be blurry than blocked."

"What if someone attacked you when you had your glasses on and they broke. You wouldn't be able to see your opponent."

"Nope," Terra sighed, and took a sip of her tea. Her glasses fogged up a bit just from being that close to the steaming cup.

"Hn," Hiei said, heading out of the kitchen. "We'll begin training you blindfolded."

Terra blanched. Even the warm aroma of the tea couldn't sooth her.

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

Okay, first of all, I've been going through and editing my older chapters. I've had so many bad typos and grammar errors because I just kind of type and don't pay too close attention when I delete and rewrite a sentence. It leaves things really weird sometimes. Also, in the last chapter I had accidentally used first POV a couple of times by accident. I had been reading a lot of first person fics lately, so when I wrote it I constantly put "I" by accident. So, extra sorry.

Secondly, I'm back in the swing of writing. Now that the play I was teching is over, I have so much more time to write. Plus, spring break is soon and I will be writing like crazy then too. So, yay for quick updates.

Third, I would like to thank _**destinyswindow**_, _**octoberbird**_, and a lovely anon for their reviews. I really appreciate them. I would also like to say it's weird posting this chapter before _**Shiningheart_of_ThunderClan**_ reviewed the last. She's been such a staple to this story and has reviewed every chapter so far. So, just a shout out to her, even though she didn't review CH15 before I got around to posting CH16. Which is totally acceptable. I did write this kind of fast.

I hope this hasn't gotten too repetitive as I had been warned it was leaning that way. If you think maybe it is, then I beg you to stick around a little longer. Kuwabara returns in the next chapter. Always a hoot that one.

Thanks again everyone for reading. Hope you enjoy!


	17. Chapter 17

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**In the Wake of What Follows**

_**Chapter Seventeen**_

"Hiei's been acting weird," Terra told Genkai over dinner. She was wearing her glasses. Knowing she wasn't going to be able to see during training anyway, Terra had stopped wearing her contacts. She had been getting too tired in the mornings to want to put them in for a while now. Hiei's new instruction just saved her the hassle. Terra was also hoping she may frequent fewer headaches without her contacts, but she still had one now.

"Yesterday morning he was waiting for me in the kitchen and followed me a bit. He said my energy was weird. It was like he was trying to protect me or something. Now I'm training blindfolded because he said if I lost my glasses in a fight I would need to be able to still defend myself. I mean, I can see the merit in that. Most any karate film has a blindfolded training sequence. But then today he was waiting for me in the kitchen again and just watched me. It was creepy."

Genkai gave a hoarse laugh and sipped her tea. "He doesn't understand you. It's quite humorous from my perspective."

"What's there to understand?"

Genkai shook her head and set her cup down. "Hiei understands people and gains respect for people through fighting. Here you are, training to become stronger, yet claiming you're not a fighter."

"I'm not."

"Yet you push on. He doesn't understand why you do it."

"Because I hate being so weak," Terra muttered.

Genkai nodded. "I know." A silence passed between them and Genkai picked her cup back up. "Most people would have given up by now, though."

"You think?"

The old woman sipped her tea without answering, but Terra interpreted her yes.

Terra collected their empty plates with a yawn.

"You should sleep," Genkai told her.

"If I can," Terra replied.

X

Terra sat on her bed, leaning against the wall and her nose buried in a book. She was tired and she found herself reading the same line over and over again still not grasping the meaning. With a sigh she closed its pages and set it down on the floor.

She had tried to sleep for two hours and had given up. Now, she was too tired to even read, but the awake in her system wouldn't let her rest.

"Maybe I should do some yoga," she mumbled. With a few slow blinks, Terra's body didn't move from its position. She knew she wasn't going to move. But then a knock came at the door.

"Yeah?" she questioned, her mind a little too muddled to fathom what either of the temples other occupants could be wanting at this hour.

The door opened to reveal Hiei. He wore his usual outfit when in doors: black pants, black sleeveless shirt, and white belt. He didn't have shoes on, but his feet weren't something weird like claws, so she paid it no notice.

"Yeah?" she repeated, wondering why he was there.

For a moment he just stared at her before leaning against the door frame.

"What's your purpose?"

It took Terra a moment to process the question.

"Purpose?"

"In life."

_What's my purpose in life?_ _Who asks that?_ Terra shook her head and looked out her window and away from the demon. "I don't have one. Why?"

"If you don't have a purpose, why do you live? Why do you bother living?"

This caught her off guard, as Hiei always had the knack of doing. She turned her head back towards him, unsure of herself. After staring at the demon for a moment, she looked down to the book on her floor, a pointless object to distract her attention from Hiei's eyes.

After a long silence, Terra was finally able to collect her thoughts. "Humans have insane will to survive. I'm sure demons do too. So many people see suicide as the easy way out. People are too weak to handle the world around them so they off themselves. But that's not true. It takes so much will power to override our natural instinct to live. I don't have the strength to kill myself. So I live on, stuck." She shook her head to clear herself of the unwanted memories. "Most people don't have a purpose. They just exist." When he didn't say anything, she felt the need to look up. He was still there, just watching her. "Do you have a purpose?"

"I used to."

"Then why do you keep living?" she asked bitterly. She didn't like what he had dug up inside her.

Some silence passed between them before he finally said he didn't know.

Terra looked back outside her window. "I feel most people spend their days waiting. Waiting for someone to come along and save us from all of our hurt and loneliness. I don't know your situation very well, with that one demon, but I have a feeling we've both met that someone, and lost them. And as much as that hurts, I think we live for them."

When she turned back to Hiei, his eyes had narrowed slightly at her. For whatever reason, she smiled. A real one.

X

Terra was blindfolded, straining her ears for the sound of Hiei's feet or the swing of his weapon, when the door opened. Instinctively, Terra turned her head and body that way, her heart beating wildly from the previous anticipation. From behind her, the soft pad of Hiei's boot against the wood floor hit her ears and Terra again swung around, this time holding her pole above her head. Bracing her back foot, she grounded herself just in time for the impact of Hiei's attack.

"You've certainly improved," Genkai's voice remarked. "I give Hiei my praise."

Terra jerked her blindfold down her face and rushed over to the old woman. "You shouldn't be out of bed," she scolded.

Genkai waved her off and took a seat. "I would like to see how much you've progressed." Genkai coughed a bit but Terra knew no amount of nagging would change her mind. Kuwabara and Yukina were returning tomorrow and Genkai had been saying for a few days she wanted to see Terra in training before she had more people fussing over her.

"Fine," Terra said, pulling her blindfold back over her eyes. "Just don't complain if I accidentally hit you."

Genkai barked a laugh. "Like you could hit me if you tried."

Terra smirked and nodded, signaling Hiei she was ready.

X

The night chill wasn't as harsh as it had been. Spring really was beginning to set in. Terra could hardly believe it was March. She had lost track of days at the temple. The air was still cool though, and the sudden heat from Hiei's presence was more than noticeable as he made his way to sit next to her.

"Are you excited for Kuwabara's return?" she asked with a smirk. Hiei growled at the thought. She had expected as much. "What about Yukina's?"

"Hn."

"I'm sure you'll enjoy their being here more than you think you will."

They stayed in silence for a while, watching the stars come out.

"I don't have a home either."

Terra turned to Hiei, confused as to what he was referring. His questions always came out of nowhere, but this was completely random.

"At the wedding," he said to clarify after Terra's completely bemused expression, "you said you didn't have a home anymore. I don't have a home either. I was banished simply for being born. I was a wanderer since birth, always rejected. I have no place to go back to."

Hiei's words seemed so out of place from his usual character, she didn't know how to respond. To ask why he was telling her this was at the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't bring herself to speak the words.

"You came back here, didn't you?" she finally said.

"Hn."

And he was gone.

X

"TERRA!" Kuwabara's voice boomed through the temple. She had been in the kitchen preparing a lunch for herself when the large oaf barged in, three bags on his back. Kuwabara dropped the bags and pulled Terra into a hug, surprising her.

"Hi," she said with a bit of a laugh.

"I'M BACK!"

Terra nodded. "I see that."

Yukina walked in after him with her small purse at hand. Obviously Kuwabara hadn't let her carry anything.

"Hello Terra, it's nice to see you again." Her smile was just as sweet and innocent as Terra remembered.

"How was the honeymoon?" Terra asked before taking a bite of her meal.

Kuwabara had already opened the fridge and was scarfing down some left over tempura. Yukina's smile radiated.

"You were right, Terra, Australia was lovely," she beamed. "I so enjoyed the atmosphere. It was quite different than anywhere I had been before. Calming and lively."

"That's great. I'm glad you two enjoyed yourselves."

Kuwabara narrowed his eyes at her and swallowed his giant portion of fish. "Since when do you wear glasses?"

Terra rolled her eyes and shut the refrigerator door that Kuwabara had left open. "Since I was twelve. You haven't seen me in the morning wearing them?"

Kuwabara shook his head. Terra supposed she had normally put her contacts in first thing. It didn't do well to work out with glasses on.

"Well," she continued, "I stopped putting in my contacts since Hiei is making me train blind. Glasses give me less headaches."

"No shit?" Kuwabara seemed impressed. "I could tell walking up here you've gotten bunch stronger. Didn't know the shrimp was training you though."

Terra shook her head. "Genkai got sick your first week gone and I forced her into retirement," she said. "Then she forced Hiei to take over. It's been rough."

"Ah, you're fine," he said before scarfing down another helping.

"Did you not eat while you were gone?" Terra joked.

Yukina's light laughter filled the air. "Kazuma is always eating like that, isn't he?"

"Do you want anything? I can make something quick before I go back to training?"

Yukina shook her head. "I'm alright. Though, I would like to visit Genkai. I do hope she's okay."

"Kurama's been here a few times to check up on her. I wouldn't worry too much."

Still, Yukina took her leave to visit her friend. Kuwabara continued eating everything in the fridge. Terra laughed at the sight of the tall man packing it away. Kuwabara stopped eating for a moment and set his bowl down, his chopsticks sticking out of the rice just threatening to fall down.

"You know, I don't think I've ever seen you like this."

"With glasses?"

Kuwabara shook his head, giving her a serious look. "Happy." Terra was taken aback. He was right. "You're always bitter and sarcastic and even when I saw you smile before, your eyes gutted me with how sad you looked."

"Sorry," Terra said, feeling guilty for making someone as joyful as Kuwabara feel bad over her personal issues.

He waved her off and continued eating. "It's fine. You were hurting, so no one expected much different. But, after seeing those photos of you, it was obvious how much everything had affected you," Kuwabara said with his mouth stuffed. He swallowed what looked like a painful amount of food and smiled. It was quite comical. "I'm glad you're starting to feel better."

"Yeah." The realization that she wasn't a _complete _mess at the moment was an odd one. _When did I start being happy?_

"Did something happen when we were away?" he asked, a smirk playing on his lips.

Terra quirked and eyebrow. "And what exactly is that supposed to mean?"

Kuwabara shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe you're a masochist and like training with Hiei."

Terra pushed him and rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut up. These bruises are anything but pleasant."

The red head gave a boisterous laugh, throwing his head back.

"What's that?" Terra asked, noticing a red welt on the lower part of his neck.

Suddenly Kuwabara's face began to match his hair in color. "Oh, um," he said, tugging up the collar of his shirt a bit, "demons have this thing. When they chose a mate, they sort of, um," he seemed to be having a hard time getting it out.

"They sort of what?"

"Mark them."

"Yukina did that to you?" Terra asked. It was her turn to make a suggestive smirk.

If possible, Kuwabara's face got even brighter. Shoving his food back into the fridge, he told Terra he had to go. "Need to unpack, do laundry, make sure Genkai's okay," he said hurriedly.

Terra laughed again.

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

First off, I would like to thank _**Shiningheart_of_ThunderClan**, **destinyswindow**_, and a lovely _**anon**_ for the reviews.

I'm glad everyone seems to be liking it. Again, if anyone finds typos, grammatical errors, and the like, please tell me so I can fix them. It's much appreciated.

I'm really enjoying writing this, although the next chapter is proving to be hard, so I'm glad people are enjoying reading it.

Thanks for reading!


	18. Chapter 18

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**In the Wake of What Follows**

_**Chapter Eighteen**_

Genkai's cough was a horrid hacking sound, making its way through walls. Everywhere in the temple the noise could be heard. The first time she had started coughing this way, Terra and Yukina had been preparing dinner. They raced to her room to find the old woman doubled over in her fits, each breath a quick rasp before another onslaught. Kuwabara and even Hiei had joined them by the time Terra was able to get Genkai to drink some water.

"She looks too pale," Yukina whispered once Genkai had fallen asleep.

Kurama rushed up the next day. While Yukina could heal wounds, she was no physician. When he arrived, Terra was surprised she could feel his energy again. The last few visits he made Kurama's energy read much like Hiei's when she didn't feel it naturally. Upon searching it out, Kurama's energy was slow breathing, but when he rushed to the top of the mountain Terra could feel the adrenaline like it was her own.

Terra didn't spend long thinking it over. Her mind was focused on Genkai. Even in training, she couldn't get away from the image of the old woman coughing. It flooded her mind every time the sound could be heard, which was almost always at this point.

Hiei knocked her down again and Terra tore off her blindfold in frustration.

"I can't do this right now," Terra snapped, getting to her feet.

"You have to be able to fight no matter what emotional state you are in," he said as she retrieved her glasses and put them on.

Terra looked the demon in the eye and tried her best to calm herself. She couldn't seem to unclench her jaw. He stared at her blankly, irritation underlying his features. Suddenly, a moment of shock and confusion washed his features. It was so quick Terra wasn't sure she had even seen it. The demon looked away, his eyes telling of some inner battle. When Hiei looked at her again, she imagined his eyes seemed softer somehow.

"What?" she asked.

Genkai coughed again and Terra looked towards the door as if pleading to be dismissed. Kurama, Yukina, and Kuwabara were taking care of Genkai, she knew, but Terra didn't feel right not helping. Especially after the report Kurama had given. Kuwabara had called Yusuke earlier that day asking him and Keiko to come up.

"We're going again," Hiei said.

His face seemed just as cold as it had before. She wondered what had crossed his mind. Maybe she was just imagining things.

Terra put her glasses back away and retied her blindfold. She didn't have the energy to argue.

X

"Hey, granny," Yusuke said. "How you holding up?"

Genkai had stopped coughing, but her breath was still quick and shallow. She didn't look well, but she still managed to bark and her old student. "I'm fine, you dim wit."

Everyone had gathered in her room. Keiko stood in the back with teary eyes next to Kuwabara's sister. She had come up with the Urameshi's. Kuwabara, Kurama, and Terra all hung back as well, watching Yusuke speak with his mentor. Hiei stood alone against the far wall and Yukina sat by Genkai's side and refilled her cup of water.

Genkai wasn't fine, and they knew it.

"Well you're doing a hell of a job of showing it. Look at you, you can barely sit up," Yusuke teased.

Genkai went to slap his arm, which he gladly endured.

They were all in bad shape over Genkai's health, but it was worse to see Yusuke so hurt. Yusuke was always cocky and laughing or yelling, but never this down hearted. Even Terra could see the change in his demeanor. It was hard to watch him as he tried to hide his emotions.

Terra needed to get away from it. She stalked out of the room knowing Genkai was in good hands. It wasn't long before Keiko and Shizuru followed.

"We should get dinner ready," Keiko suggested.

Terra accepted the distraction.

X

Somehow, over dinner, they were able to get into higher spirits.

Yukina had been the last one to stay with Genkai, but returned before the meal started saying Hiei took over. Terra thought it strange Hiei cared enough, but then scolded herself on the matter. Of course Hiei cared for Genkai, and he would also want Yukina to be happy and with the rest of the group. He may be ruthless, but he cared about those close to him, she gathered.

The ice apparition retold the events of their honeymoon sweetly to the girls, a loving smile sweeping across her face. It had lightened the room instantly. From then on, the conversation became almost as cheerful and rambunctious as usual when the lot of them sat down to eat.

At the moment, Terra was trying her best to hold back a laugh at Kuwabara's flaming cheeks.

"Shut _up_, Urameshi! Not in the presence of the _ladies!_"

Of said ladies, Terra was the only one who had caught on to their conversation, Keiko, Yukina, and Shizuru having one of their own.

"Oh, come on, Kuwabara, you can't be that embarrassed about it. One of said ladies _gave_ you that mark, remember." With that remark, Kuwabara's face became even redder, if possible. "I can at least control my demon instincts. Yukina must be an animal." Yusuke said the last part under his breath.

"You guys are so lucky Hiei isn't here," Terra said, knowing she was sitting far enough away from the girls they wouldn't have heard her.

Yusuke paled at the thought. "You know?"

Terra shrugged. "I figured it out. But, I have to be curious. Yukina doesn't seem like the dominating, bity type."

"_Terra_," Kuwabara whined.

Kurama made an interruptive cough and said, "I too would advise not to tempt the wrath of Hiei."

Terra smirked at the red-head. "You're right, he might actually break my bones during training." She turned her eyes back to Kuwabara. "But, really, taking Yukina out of the equation, you _have_ to get more comfortable with the idea of sex. Yusuke will never stop making fun of you as long as you blush like that whenever something comes up."

"Terra!" Kuwabara whined again.

Yusuke crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at Terra with joking suspicion. "I don't get how you can get all flustered about your singing and dancing and shit, but talk about sex without batting an eye."

Terra laughed. "You have to be comfortable with sex if you want to be an actor. I've done sex scenes on stage in front of an audience before. I mean, do you watch TV? I've never had to be nude for acting before, but there's sex to the level of soft core porn in almost every show nowadays."

Kuwabara had frozen when Terra said she'd done sex scenes, catching Yukina's attention. When she placed her hand on his shoulder he jumped, an even deeper blush burning into his cheeks.

"As far as the arts go, it's embarrassing to be put under a spotlight like that. While sex is something we all do, it's a part of our nature, acting is something _I _do. It's a part of who I was, a part of me I don't want to share anymore."

"But why?" Yusuke pressed.

Terra shook her head. "I don't think I could explain. It's too emotional. I'm not sure I could handle it anymore." With a sigh, Terra noticed the girls had joined in on listening to her. "Anyway," she started, waving off the old topic, "I'm curious. How exactly does this whole mark thing work."

Kuwabara, who had cooled off when Terra talked about herself, couldn't suppress a new blush. This one was much lighter than before. Yukina too seemed to gain a faint blush, although it was her husband that seemed more affected. Keiko too had gone red.

Shizuru and Yusuke laughed at their reactions.

"You guys need to loosen up," Shizuru commented.

"I think it best I explain," Kurama said. Terra turned her attention to him, awaiting the big reveal. "Although, perhaps when certain blushing parties aren't present."

Terra looked back at the group. Even Yusuke seemed to have had a red tinge to his cheeks. "Fine," she said. It wasn't like knowing was of dire importance.

Genkai's cough cut through the lull in conversation and the mood became somber quickly.

"She's really not doing well, is she?" Keiko asked sadly.

"No, she isn't."

Everyone in the room turned to the door where the new comer stood. Terra identified the man as Koenma, although she couldn't recall speaking with him at the wedding. Behind him the blue hair of Boton could be seen. She had her head down, sulking. Yusuke bolted to his feet.

"Okay, pacifier breath, what the hell are you doing here!"

Terra was shocked by Yusuke's sudden hostility. She had thought they were friends. Koenma sighed, letting Yusuke grab him by his collar.

"Yusuke, I don't think-"

"Shut up, Boton!" Yusuke snapped, his eyes fixed on Koenma. "I want you to fix her! I know you can do it."

The spirit prince shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't do anything for Genkai. We already did what we could to make sure she lasted until you could all say goodbye."

Kuwabara too rose to his feet. "You mean, you knew this was going to happen!"

"Boys, please," Boton begged, wishing her friends would calm down. "Not even we can predict when someone is going to die. We simply made sure her illness wouldn't get too bad before Yukina and Kuwabara returned."

"Then push it back further!" Yusuke shouted.

"Genkai's already been given a second life," Koenma stated. "She can't be given more."

Yusuke let go of Koenma's shirt and looked away from everyone. After a moment or two, Keiko reached her hand up and intertwined her fingers with her husbands. The silence in the room was heavy.

"Yusuke, we've known this was coming. Yukina and I have already made funeral arrangements. It's all very simple, but-"

"You did what?" Yusuke asked, jerking his hand away. His eyes looked so hurt. It pained Terra to watch. "Aren't you getting a _little_ ahead of yourselves," he snapped, voice still yelling. "Why in the hell are you so prepared!"

Keiko stood, tears threatening to spill. She slapped Yusuke clean across the cheek. "Because Genkai made us," she yelled right back at him.

Everyone stared at the two for a moment before Terra calmly got to her feet. "I'm going to talk to Genkai," she said before making her way out of the room with calculated steps. Terra brushed past Koenma and Boton who moved out of her way silently. With her back still to the room, she spoke to them. "We all care for her. It's best to know the difference between a wound that can heal and one that cannot. Genkai's dying. I suggest you all stop treating her like she's going to make a miraculous recovery and remind her how much you love her. It may be your last chance. You're lucky you're getting one."

X

"If you would, I'd like to be alone when talking to Genkai," Terra said to Hiei. He nodded slightly and walked past her out the door. Genkai was lying in her bed, light coughs jerking her head as the breath moved from her lips. Her eyes were closed, but Terra knew she was awake. Terra sat by her side and replaced the towel on her forehead. Genkai's eyes fluttered open.

"No need to baby me," Genkai said.

"There's every need to baby you, granny," Terra replied. For a minute, the two didn't say a word to each other. "Why did you want to train me?" she finally asked. "I don't see what you found so special in me."

Genkai's cracked lips curved into a smile. "Providence," the crone rasped.

"You're saying it was fate?" Terra asked skeptically. "I don't believe in providence."

"I had been wishing for one last adventure. And then you showed up. You had more spirit energy than the average human, and awareness for it that couldn't go unnoticed."

Terra shook her head, "That's not providence."

"It could have been one of your friends that lived and not you. I doubt I would have trained either of them."

"I'm sorry I wasn't much of an adventure."

To this Genkai shook her head. "You were. You are. Adventure stories are only fun while they last. All of my adventures had ended. But I can see the beginning of things in you. I'm happy to leave in the middle of the story."

"Even if you never find out the ending?"

Genkai shook her head, "Being in league with the Spirit Realm has its perks. Trust me, Terra, I won't miss anything."

Terra's throat was dry. "Thank you," she whispered, "for everything."

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

I'm sorry! But, you knew this was going to happen from chapter one. So, there.

I would like to thank _**Shiningheart_of_ThunderClan**_, _**xion**_, and _**octoberbird**_ for their reviews of the last chapter, and _**octoberbird**_ again for also review chapter 16. Really nice hearing from you all.

I'm glad people like Terra. I love writing OC fics and Terra's becoming one of my favorite characters, so it's nice to hear that others like her as well.

Thanks for reading!


	19. Chapter 19

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**In the Wake of What Follows**

_**Chapter Nineteen**_

Yusuke was leaning against the wall outside when Terra left the room. His demeanor was still rigid and upset, but he gave Terra a weak smile when their eyes locked. In silence the two nodded their heads and passed each other. Terra looked back when the door to Genkai's room shut behind Yusuke.

_I hope he'll be okay_, she thought, and then headed to her room.

X

She passed the next day. Boton was crying the most. Although she was not the one to collect the soul, the gang knew Boton could see more of Genkai than they could. Terra stayed in the kitchen, keeping herself busy preparing everyone meals and ignoring the fact that it had happed all together. People came in and out, helping her or eating food or merely wanting to share in the quite. No one was really in the mood for talking.

"I suppose we could have the funeral tomorrow," Keiko said in a sad voice. "Everyone's here that I would know to invite. Anyone else who wants to pay their respects will come by when they can."

Kurama nodded, thinking of his demons friends that had come for the wedding. "Yes, it would be unlikely anyone else would be able to make it even if we pushed the funeral off for a week or so."

It was already late in the day, but since Yukina and Keiko had made most of the preperations already, it would be easy to begin tomorrow. They nodded and went to tell the others, leaving Terra alone again.

She felt numb and confused. Only once had someone just passed naturally that Terra knew. Genkai was old and sick and she died surrounded by people she loved and it was peaceful. All of the people Terra had cared about died tragically, suddenly, bloodily… Terra had been in shock so many times shock almost didn't affect her. Yet this sense of loss she felt now was still so great she could hardly bare it, like there was a heaviness in her chest like that of a black hole.

Terra covered the dish she had made with plastic wrap and placed it in the fridge for someone to eat later. Without thinking too much, Terra left the kitchen and made her way to her room.

Despite living at the temple for almost three months, Terra's room looked barely lived in. Her clothes were folded nicely in her dresser or crumpled in a sweaty pile that was her laundry basket, with the exception of her dress she had worn to the wedding. Her blue number was on a hanger hooked over a nail in the wall. On her dresser were Jeremy's notebook and her iPod. No other belongings, no little touches that made it _hers_, per say. Her bed was obviously slept in; she had never bothered preparing it in the morning unless she was really bored and awake some morning. Still, with as little possessions she had at the temple, it still took her two hours to pack her bag.

She didn't wait for everyone to go to sleep. It had been a long day. The two married couples in the building Terra knew had retired by the time she finished packing. The girls were exhausted, and Yusuke and Kuwabara were more than willing to fall asleep by their sides early that night. Both Boton and Koenma had returned to Spirit World until tomorrow. Without knowing where the others were, Terra hitched her pack over her shoulders and headed out. She heard the hushed conversation between Shizuru and Kurama as she passed the kitchen. They hadn't seemed to notice her, which was just as well. Then she was outside.

It was as if the cool night air woke her up from the stupor she had been in for the whole day. She took a deep breath and let the underlying scent of spring fill her. Nothing seemed real.

"Where are you going?"

Terra didn't turn to look at Hiei, but kept her eyes fixed on the stairway path leading away from the temple. "I don't know. Away."

The air around her grew warmer as he stepped by her side. "Why?"

"What's the point in staying?"

She could feel the fire demon's stare on her. It was as unnerving as ever making her lose concentration and forget herself. Terra turned her head to match his gaze.

"What was the point in you coming here in the first place?" he challenged.

"Genkai."

Hiei turned away, but Terra now seemed transfixed by his face in the moonlight. The pale light reflected off his red eyes like cut diamond. Terra forced herself to look away and began walking again, reaching the steps.

"So you're just going to give up?" He asked, matching her stride.

"I gave up a long time ago."

"I don't believe that."

Terra stopped and turned to him again. "Like you know me." Hiei stared at her for a long time, but said nothing, so Terra continued down the steps. "Genkai's dead, I don't see a point in staying."

A hand reached out and grabbed her wrist. Terra had gained a lot of strength in her training but she was no match for Hiei's grip.

"What?" she snapped at him.

"Genkai saw something in you. You should continue training for her sake. Like you told me, we live for them."

"Why do you care?" she asked.

Hiei opened his mouth as if he were going to give her a straight answer, but snapped it shut. He let go of her and headed back to the Temple.

"You could respect her enough to at least stay for the funeral," he said with his back turned.

Terra watched him retreat back inside. She knew she could leave now and he wouldn't stop her. For what seemed like forever but couldn't have been more than two minutes Terra stood there like a deer in headlights. Her two feet on different steps, Terra looked back down to the path leading to the bottom of the mountain.

Much in the same way she didn't know why she had asked Genkai if she could return all that time ago, Terra didn't know why she then headed back to the temple.

_We live for them_.

X

Keiko sat down again, having lit an incense for Genkai. Tears stained her cheeks. A clink hit the floor as a tear escaped Yukina's overly large deep red eyes. It was heartbreaking and Terra had to leave the room again.

After the numbing sensation of the day before, Terra had felt the sorrow of the funeral with full force. She couldn't handle the physical ache in her chest. She wanted nothing more than to feel that numb nothing again.

It was only three in the afternoon but Yusuke was already hitting the drink, and fairly hard. It wasn't long before Kuwabara had joined him. Upon entering the kitchen, Terra found the pair with stone faces and lazy eyes.

"How drunk are you?" she asked with her best try at humor.

"Not drunk enough," Yusuke replied.

Terra leaned over the counter and took the jug of sake out of Yusuke's hands. He began to protest before he realized Terra wasn't taking it away from him to stop him from drinking. She brought the jug up to her lips and chugged for a few seconds and placed the sake back down on the counter.

"I'd say you chug like a pro if it weren't for that face your making."

Terra's face contorted from the bitter sour taste of alcohol she never quite cared for.

"I thought you said you didn't drink," Kurama remarked, standing in the doorway.

"I don't." Terra whipped her mouth on her sleeve and put her head down. "I suggest you find me a tumbler of my own unless you want me to drink all of yours," Terra told Yusuke.

"Why don't you pick on Kuwabara?" he asked before taking another swig.

They looked over at the carrot top and Terra shook her head. "Like he knows where Genkai stores her alcohol."

Despite Kuwabara being the one to live permanently at the temple, Terra was right in knowing it was Yusuke that knew where the goods were. He pushed himself up out of his chair and headed out the door. "Be right back. Don't touch my drink, Nakashima."

"No promises, Urameshi."

As soon as Yusuke had rounded the corner, Terra took up his jug of sake and took another swallow. "It may not be smart for you to drink with such abandon when your body isn't used to it, Terra," Kurama warned.

Terra shook her head. "I'm fine. I know my limits." She could tell he wanted to protest, but Kurama let her continue to drink.

Terra did know her limits, very well, but she planned on breaking them tonight.

X

Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Terra all stumbled outside. The night air was cold, but it didn't even phase Terra. She could barely feel the wind on her face.

They had been pissed by dinner and Keiko had forced Yusuke to leave due to his behavior, Terra and Kuwabara proudly following. They weren't the only ones drinking, Shizuru had pretty rosy cheeks, but the three students of Genkai were getting out of control.

In the back of the temple was a pretty large span of flat land devoid of trees. "This is where Kuwabara got pummeled by his first demon. I beat that punk's ass pretty hard," Yusuke gloated, his voice a few degrees too loud.

"Shuddup, Urameshi. I didn't even know what was going on at the time. I could win that fight now!"

"Yeah right! You couldn't even beat Terra!"

"Hey, you callin' me weak?" Terra said, pushing Yusuke. He nearly lost his balance, taking a few steps before standing straight again. "I should beat your ass."

Yusuke put up his fists and smirked. "Come at me."

"Come on, guys, don't fight," Kuwabara said.

Yusuke took a swing at his friend who easily missed the punch, despite his drunken state. Possibly because Yusuke was so drunk himself. Terra stumbled back watching the two mindlessly begin to fight, yelling at each other.

She took another swig of her sake. There was no telling how much she had had that night, but by the droopiness of her eyes and the way her legs didn't want to move straight, Terra knew it was too much. She didn't care. _I haven't thrown up_, she thought_, can't be that bad._

Terra rushed past the guys who only barely noticed her.

"Where you going?" Yusuke called out.

Terra stopped not too far off. There was a slope down and the sight was in the direction of the city. On the roof, Terra always looked towards the beach or the forest surrounding, but never the city. From here, Terra could see the tall skyscraper she knew she and Jeremy and Conner had passed just before entering Genkai's grounds.

The sound of a sliding door called the attention of the two boys, but Terra stayed looking out over the mountain.

"Kurama, Hiei, come to join the party?" Yusuke yelled.

Kurama shook his head. "Your wives don't wish to come collect you themselves, but would care for you to stop drinking and come inside."

"Fuck you, man," Yusuke said and took another swig from his jug.

"I expected such a response," Kurama sighed. "I'm going to at least keep an eye on you."

"We don't need no babysitter," Kuwabara mumbled before tripping over, landing on his butt. Yusuke's laughter wouldn't stop, even when Kuwabara stood and kicked his friend down.

"No need for violence," Kurama called over their brawl.

Terra tried to drown out their voices. She didn't want to hear it, especially the laughter. She'd rather wallow in self-pity and depression. Brining her tumbler to her lips, Terra downed the last of her drink and tossed the empty ceramic to the ground. The crash of clay brought the attention of the others. Suddenly (or maybe not, her perception of time was off) Hiei was by her side, his heat tingling against her numb limbs.

"Hey, waiter, get me another drink," she said.

"Stop this foolishness."

Terra snapped her head to him, blinking a few times from the quick movement. "Don't tell me what to do." Hiei growled at her, a rush of cold energy coming over her. "No, don't. You have no right to be angry with me!" she yelled. "I'm angry at you! You shouldn't have stopped me from leaving yesterday, you _ass_. I was numb and I would have stayed numb, but _now_ I can't." Tears began to fall down her face and her breath hitched. "I can't handle this much death! It's too much," she sobbed.

The fire demon's eyes seemed to quiver as they studied her face, alarmed by the breakdown, yet the rest of his features remained as cool as ever. "You're pathetic," he said.

"You don't think I _fucking _KNOW THAT!" she yelled in his face. The tears were still streaming wildly and her breaths were quick. "Why don't you just fucking kill me! It always feels like you want me dead. Your energy is so terrifyingly angry and you don't care one way or the other, so kill me! DO IT! We both know I'm too weak to off myself, so _please_?" She had started angry, but now her pain had taken over. She was begging him. "WHY WON'T YOU KILL ME!"she screeched.

Her screaming caused the rest of the household to rush to the back porch. Kurama looked on with sad eyes but made no move to stop the altercation. Yusuke and Kuwabara were collapsed on the ground, drunkenly watching but not fully understanding what was going on. "Is she okay?" Keiko asked, but no one responded.

"Anyone who begs for death does not deserve it," Hiei told her coldly.

She kept his gaze for a moment, unable to control the sobs that heaved her chest up and down frantically. When she turned from him and back to her outlook of the city, she screamed. A blood curdling wail erupted from Terra, bending over as if in physical pain. "WHY?" she asks the wind, using English for the first time since speaking to Jeremy. "WHY AM I LEFT BEHIND! WHY DO I ALWAYS FUCKING LIVE WHEN EVERYONE ELSE DIES? EVERYONE. EVERYONE FUCKING DIES BUT I DON'T AND I DON'T KNOW WHY? FOR FUCKS SAKE, WHY AREN'T I DEAD!"

"She's so hurt," Yukina said, clutching Keiko's hand for comfort.

"What's she saying?" Boton asked in a hushed voice as Terra continued to yell.

Koenma shook his head, his sad eyes on the human girl screaming. "She's asking why she's still alive, why she keeps surviving while those she loved have died," he explained.

"Do you understand English, Yukina?" Keiko asked. The ice apparition slowly nodded her head.

Terra fell to her knees and wept. Keiko noticed Terra's necklace fall from behind the collar of her shirt. The sparkling diamond glistened beautifully in the moonlight. It could have been one of Yukina's tears.

"Whoa, who gave her that rock?" Shizuru asked.

Keiko looked down at her hand in Yukina's. "I believe Jeremy did."

Suddenly, the exact relationship between Jeremy and Terra dawned on the party.

Kurama walked over to where Terra still wept, passing a confused yet concerned pair of drunken boys. Gently, knowning how she was always so keen to pull away from his touch, Kurama placed his hand on her shoulder. Surprising him, she twisted her body and clung onto the red head, forcing herself to stand in the process. Holding the girl to his chest, Kurama gave a pointed look at Hiei who stood not four meters away.

"Shh," Kurama whispered in her ear. "Everything will be okay." He continued to try and sooth her but kept his eyes on the fire demon. Only a few moments passed before Hiei sped away, too fast for even Kurama to tell where he went.

X

"Drink this," Yukina said sweetly as she and Keiko helped Terra into bed. The ice demon handed Terra a glass of water which Terra drank greedily. Her throat was raw and dry.

"Not so fast," Keiko tried to warn, but Terra chugged it down and just held the cup out for more.

"I never puke," Terra mumbled.

Keiko poured her some more water, but only half a cup, still worried she would drink to fast and throw up. Before handing the cup to her, Yukina held out some bread. "Eat," she commanded softly.

Terra obediently put the bread in her mouth and ate it like it was heaven. "I love bread," she said with her mouth still full.

Yukina and Keiko stayed by her side until Terra finally fell asleep.

"Should we take the necklace off?" Yukina asked. "I don't want it to choke her."

Keiko shook her head. "No, she would panic if it were missing in the morning."

Yukina nodded and the two girls left the room.

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

First off, I'm surprised I finished this so quickly. Second, it's a full page longer than I normally write, so I'm kind of impressed with myself.

I'd like to thank _**Moldy_Strawberry**__, __**octoberbird**_, _**LadyEvangeline**_, _**Shiningheart_of_ThunderClan**_, and _**destinyswindow **_for the amazing reviews.

Hope this chapter wasn't too hard on the emotions, although I doubt it if last chapter got some of you teary eyed.

Either way, thanks for reading and reviewing and favoriting and the like. It means so much to me that people are really liking my story.


	20. Chapter 20

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**In the Wake of What Follows**

_**Chapter Twenty**_

Terra woke up with a hangover, which was to be expected. She was tired, cranky, and her head hurt. Based off the light pouring into her room, she judged it to be around ten in the morning. Terra ran a hand over her face and got out of bed. It was going to be a long day.

Without her glasses on and her eyes barely open, Terra somehow made her way to the bathroom. Groggily, she stripped and soaked in the warm bath water. It wasn't customary to bathe in the morning, but she needed desperately to feel clean and awake, and a bath did just that. Terra took extra care while cleaning, spending as much time as possible in the bathroom before having to make the trek back to her room.

By the time she left, her hair was already dry. The only indicator of her having bathed at all was the warm glow that one radiates after being in a steaming room for so long. Terra wanted nothing more than to curl up in her sheets and spend the rest of the day in dreamless solitude, but as soon as she left the baths her stomach roared. In her hungover state, she couldn't possibly refuse a trip to the kitchen.

Shizuru and Kurama were sitting across from each other chatting over coffee when Terra walked in. They became quite, which she was thankful for. Their voices pounded in her head like a jackhammer.

"Well, you're the first of the three to wake up," Shizuru commented. "I'm surprised. It's still pretty early."

Terra shrugged and opened the refrigerator, thankful for all the meals she prepared the day before. "I once woke up after a night of drinking at five-thirty in the morning and thought it was a good idea to do yoga and read a book. I ended up falling back asleep at nine, then waking up again with my roommates at eleven."

"Did you sleep well?" Kurama asked with a hint of worry in his voice.

"Drunken sleep is dreamless sleep, so better than I normally do." Terra put the dish in the microwave and watched as it began to heat the food. "I was really bad last night, wasn't I?"

Kurama and Shizuru looked at each other with uncertainty. "How much do you remember?" Kurama asked.

Terra pressed her palms onto her eyes and sighed. "Most of it, I think. I remember yelling at Hiei, and then you were holding me, I think?" Kurama gave a sound of affirmation. "Then…you brought me inside?"

Terra took her hands away and looked at Kurama. He was a blur of flesh tones and red hair without her glasses on, but she could make him out enough to tell that he nodded. Terra took her food out of the microwave and sat down next to him. Looking at Shizuru across the table, Terra realized the only reason she could tell her apart from Keiko was that she had heard her talk.

"My eye sight sucks," she muttered before shoving the rice and chicken into her mouth. "I want pizza," Terra said after a few bites. "Such better hangover food."

"How much did you have last night?" Shizuru asked.

Terra shrugged again, her mouth full of food. "More than I've ever had at one time before, by, like, a lot."

"Impressive," she said, taking a sip of coffee. "Do you want a cup?"

Terra scrunched up her nose. "More of a tea person. Need water anyway."

Kurama brought her a cup, which Terra downed after saying thanks. "So, I remember yelling at Hiei, but I don't exactly remember what I said."

"Well, by the time I got out there, you were screaming in English, so I can't help you," Shizuru said.

Terra didn't press, although she got the impression that Shizuru was at least told the gist of it. Instead, she turned to the red head. Surely this genius knew English. Kurama shifted in his seat, seemingly uncomfortable.

"I couldn't have been that bad," Terra said.

"Yes, well, I believe it was. First, I would like to clarify that Hiei understood you too."

"Really? He doesn't seem like the type to learn a different language."

When Kurama shook his head, Terra leaned forward to see his face better, apparently making him more uncomfortable.

"Sorry," she said, "I still can't see your face clearly. Didn't put on my glasses before leaving."

He took this in stride and decided to put his attention towards Shizuru instead. "Demons don't speak the same language as humans. Even Yusuke has switched, although I doubt he's realized. We demons naturally speak this language and are able to understand any language we hear. Human ears also naturally translate this demon language into their own. It's much more complex than that, but in layman's terms."

"Do you have a worm in your ear or a TARDIS?" Terra joked, though neither of them got the references. "Um, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Doctor Who are two scifi things with language translation mumbo jumbo."

Kurama nodded. "I however _am_ speaking Japanese. I'm in a human body, after all. You most likely hear Japanese from the others because it was what you were expecting."

Terra nodded in response. "All very fascinating, and I would probably be more curious if I weren't so fucking tired, but none of this is telling me what the hell I said last night."

Kurama sighed before answering. "You asked Hiei to kill you, although you were still speaking Japanese at that point."

Terra put her chopsticks onto her plate. "Then what?"

"When you switched to English you went on a tangent about all the loved ones who have passed, wondering why you were left behind. Though you were no longer facing Hiei you asked him a few more times what was holding him back."

Terra stood up and put her food back in the fridge, having lost her appetite. "Sounds about right," she told them. Kurama gave her a curious expression which Terra was unable to see without her glasses. "Anything else?"

Kurama sighed. "Yes, actually. The ring around your neck…"

Terra's hand shot up to the necklace she wore, wrapping her fingers around the charm through her shirt. Her eyes were wide in surprise. She quickly realized it must have slipped out of her shirt when she was drunk.

"You didn't have that before," he stated. Terra didn't know what this had to do with the night before, but answered his unasked question nonetheless.

"I found it in his belongings when I was still here. It was wrapped up as a birthday present. I didn't open it until then."

Shizuru reached over and squeezed Terra's hand that rested on the counter. The two girls didn't know each other very well, but she took comfort in the action. It didn't need to be said that it was an engagement ring; that much was obvious. Terra could tell the difference between it and a normal diamond ring, and so could the rest of them. She couldn't help but think how different her life would be right now if that day hadn't happened.

"As I was walking you inside," Kurama began, "you told me 'til death do us part means nothing' and that maybe you could be together in death. Then you swore at Hiei for denying you that."

The three of them sat in silence for a minute, Terra's headache growing worse with each passing moment. "I'm going back to bed," she said at last.

She was thankful when they didn't try to stop her.

X

When Terra woke up again it was already getting dark. "Well I just fucked my sleep schedule up for a week," she said to herself.

She ventured to the bathroom, then to the kitchen for a bite. Yusuke and Kuwabara were both there, their hangovers worse than hers still etched across their faces. "Morning," Yusuke mumbled despite the setting sun. Their greetings didn't consist of much more, none of them quite themselves. After filling herself with as much chicken and bread she could manage, Terra headed back to her room.

When she opened the door Terra jumped in shock, her hand resting over her racing heart. Hiei was sitting on her windowsill, staring out at the darkening sky.

"God, Hiei. What the hell are you doing in here?"

The fire demon turned his gaze to her and frowned. "I have questions," he said. His voice was quiet, but Terra couldn't miss the gruff demand of his words. She bit back her automatic response of _I have answers_. With Hiei, she wasn't sure if that was true. Still, she felt sort of obligated to answer his questions after her behavior the night before.

"Which are?" she asked, leaning against the doorframe. It didn't seem right to enter her room with him there invading the space.

"Do you truly wish to die?"

Terra readjusted her glasses and looked away from the demon. "Sometimes," she told him truthfully.

Somehow, she knew Hiei wanted to ask more on that, but he picked a different topic. "What did you mean by every time? How many people have died on you?"

Her heart sped at the thought. _Too many_, she thought. "Not including Genkai, six. Well, seven."

"Tell me about them."

She looked up, unsure as to what to say. She couldn't understand why he cared. Her breathing began to grow shallow. The idea of so much past pain was hard to think about, let alone talk about. The look in his eyes, however, coaxed her to reply. They were hard and narrowed, his usual unimpressed mask, but she could see the pure curiosity behind them, the genuine almost innocent quality with which he asked her. It was so unlike Hiei, she couldn't deny him.

"These aren't my only experiences with death. I mean, I knew people whose relatives died, or pets died, or classmates I didn't really know died. I know death happens all the time, but I feel like I've been burdened with an extreme amount of personal loss."

"Tell me about them," he repeated, his voice a tad softer than it was before.

Terra fixed her eyes on the floor. The wood grain seemed so interesting at the moment. She began to trace patterns with her mind and sighed.

"The first person I knew to die was my grandma. She was the only grandparent I had growing up, and her death was hard on me. Like Genkai, it was simply because of old age and we knew it was coming. I wasn't scarred from that experience, but it was hard. I was only six at the time.

"The second person I knew to die was much harder. It was the summer after high school. My best friend committed suicide. I got a call from her mom. I shut myself down for weeks. I didn't know how to handle it. I refused to see any of my other friends. I didn't go online for the longest time. I just waited for school to start so I could begin a new life at a new place. I guess I've done that a lot.

"I did my year at the conservatory, then entered community college. By then I had accepted her death. God, that feels like so long ago. Halfway through my second semester my favorite teacher died. And that just, that just sucked. I didn't know him well, but he was such a great teacher. But, with that death I mourned with the entire school, so I was able to keep living easily enough. The next fall, I came to Japan for a study abroad. When I came back, I was in a car crash, and my parents died.

"To escape that, I went back to Japan where I couldn't be reminded of them and I haven't been back to America since. I remember waking up in the hospital and having the nurses not being able to tell me where my parents were until their lawyer could get there, so he could tell me. I was orphaned with no other relatives, but I was nineteen so I was able to take the life insurance and do whatever I wanted. So I left.

"Jeremy took care of me in my depression over my parents. And we fell in love. His best friend was Conner. Conner and I were really close, too. They were both great friends. And then, this past summer, we decided to back pack over Japan. And then they were killed by demons." Despite how calm she had been talking, her voice cracked and a single tear rolled down her cheek.

"And you ran away again?" It wasn't so much a question as it was a confirmation of her past actions.

Terra nodded. "I settled everything financially and stored my things and came here." A light footfall hit the floor as Hiei slid off the window sill. She heard his steps but didn't look up. "Is that all?"

For a moment, the demon didn't respond. Terra closed her eyes and took a deep breath, steadying herself.

"Yes."

Terra opened her eyes and looked at him. Hiei was standing only a few feet away, staring directly at her, his face expressionless. She couldn't even imagine the look behind his eyes she had caught earlier. He made to move past her and leave, but she quickly stood in the middle of the doorway.

"Wait," she said. He stopped and raised an eyebrow at her. "A story for a story?" she asked, repeating Kurama's motto. As way of answer, Hiei took two steps back and gave her the same blank expression. "Will you tell me about that demon?" Her eyes darted briefly to his chest where she had seen those scars her first week. "Who was she?"

Hiei snarled and looked away. Terra was worried he would refuse to answer, but after his snarl faded, he began to speak. "Mukuro. She was a very powerful demon, a former king in the demon world." He didn't seem to want to say more, but Terra just waited, still standing in the doorway. Eventually, he spoke again. "I trained under her for some time and became her second in command. We became . . . close. After the first demon world tournament, she was released from some past torments. In the coming years she grew uninterested in fighting without her hatred fueling her. Her subordinates began to notice. I was traveling for some time, training alone, and when I returned, we fought. A member of her clan had challenged her for leadership, and I advised her against it. That was when I got those wounds. I had grown stronger, but not strong enough to have defeated her old self. She had grown incredibly weak as if her peace was a poison. I left the demon world for Genkai's to get the wounds treated, knowing she would lose her title. I felt her die before I reached here. A few days later you showed up."

"You felt her..?"

Hiei turned his eyes back towards Terra. "I tracked her life force with my Jagan."

Terra's eyes moved to the cloth Hiei kept tied around his forehead. She had been told Hiei had a third eye called a Jagan, but nothing about it. She didn't press for more information despite her curiosity. He had answered her question, she wouldn't ask for more. Terra stepped into her room and to the side to let Hiei pass. When he reached the doorway, he stilled for a moment and looked at her.

"I expect you to be up and ready by seven for training," he told her, and then disappeared.

Terra exhaled deeply and collapsed onto her bed. She supposed that was Hiei's way of telling her she needed to stop running.

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><p>NOTES:<p>

First, HOLY SHIT CHAPTER TWENTY! I can't believe how much of this story I've written. I'm absolutely obsessed and in love with it and seem to always be writing even when I should really be doing homework.

Okay, real stuff.

So, I know this chapter is mostly review of previous revelations with a bit of new information tossed in there. I'm sorry if it was boring, but I thought it was important to clearly establish some things. Whether you agree as a reader that this was necessary is another matter, so I hope the repetitiveness wasn't too boring or annoying or anything.

If you haven't noticed, I posted a new "story". It's a guide as to how I envision marking to work. Everyone has their own views since it's not cannon, so I wanted to make it clear. It will come up again in the story, so if you want to wait until things progress further, feel free. If you don't, that's fine too. It may be a while before things get that far. Just thought I should share.

Anywho, I'd like to thank _**octoberbird**_, _**Shiningheart_of_ThunderClan**_, _**Moldy_Strawberry**_, and _**xion**_ for the wonderful reviews. Like, seriously, you make me feel awesome.

Thanks everyone for reading!


	21. Chapter 21

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**In the Wake of What Follows**

_**Chapter Twenty-One**_

"You're better than I expected," Yusuke jeered. "I'm impressed."

Terra wanted to take off her blindfold and head over to the two boys (she heard Kuwabara's footsteps heading down the hall alongside Yusuke's), but she was still in training and Hiei had a tendency of knocking her over when she let an interference distract her. Despite the days away from training, she had learned that much and kept it with her.

More sounds hit her: a patter of footsteps, a rustling of cloth, the swish you can hear when a pole the size of hers is swung so quickly through the air. Terra blocked her left just as Hiei reached her. He backed off and dropped his pole onto the floor with a clatter which Terra took as a sign their session was over. She took her blindfold off and headed to the boys, stopping to get her glasses first.

"What's up?" she asked, a little out of breath.

"Surprised to see you back to training so soon," Yusuke said with a slight grin. "But I'm not lying, you're getting good. You could probably hold your own in the dark tournament, if it were still going on. We could have used this you as our fifth member!"

Terra narrowed her eyes at him. "Weren't you like fourteen at the time?"

Yusuke grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, sounds about right."

"So I'm as strong at a middle schooler, lovely."

"Hey," Kuwabara said with a smirk, "you couldn't exactly call us average."

Yusuke sighed. "Maybe we should join you. I just want to get drunk again, but Keiko won't let me touch the stuff after what happened the other night. Training would help me get my mind off things."

"Hn," Hiei's sound of disapproval cut through their conversation. "If you trained with her you wouldn't gain anything."

Terra rolled her eyes, suddenly frustrated with the fire demon. "Yeah, yeah, whatever," she dismissed.

"Well, I maybe I should train under the great Hiei," Yusuke badgered. "We could have an all-out fight and show Terra what her goals are."

"Jeeze, Urameshi, even I can't make it to your level, I don't think Terra should put her goals so high."

"You calling me weak?" Terra asked with a smirk.

Kuwbara flushed, "THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT AND YOU KNOW IT!"

She laughed at the psychic and turned her attention back to Yusuke who seemed to be riling up at the idea of a fight. "Come on, Hiei, it would be great! We could use it as training for the tournament. It's this October after all!"

"Urameshi, you have a kid," Kuwabara reminded him. "I doubt Keiko would like for you to become the king of demon world on top of that."

Yusuke sunk at his friends words. "Oh yeah. I should still participate!" he grinned. "No one deserves to rule over Demon world unless they're at least stronger than me. Right, Hiei!" The fire demon gave him a blank stare and stayed motionless. "No need to get too excited," Yusuke told him, rolling his eyes.

"While this is a lovely conversation," Terra interjected, "I'm starving. She brushed past the two boys and headed to the kitchens.

X

"Do you mind if I join you?" Kurama asked, holding a bowl of food and pair of chopsticks.

Terra shook her head and motioned for him to take a seat as she continued eating. After swallowing her bite and taking a swig of water, Terra looked at the doctor and mulled through her previous conversations with him.

"Yes?"

She flustered a bit, having been caught staring at him for so long. "Sorry," she said. "Just thinking." He nodded and continued with his food. "Kurama?"

"Yes?"

"What kind of demon are you? Yusuke may have said that one time, but I can't remember."

"I am a kitsune," he informed her. "Why do you ask?"

Terra shifted in her seat and took another bite of her food. "It's just, I have this theory about my energy business, but I'm missing some information. Fox makes sense, I guess. Do you have like a specialty with anything?"

Kurama gave a soft laugh, "It is odd for me to have someone know that I am a demon yet not know of what I do, forgive me. Yes, I have a specialty. I have a certain power over plants. I can make them grow towards my will, and I have a special proclivity towards roses, I suppose."

Terra nodded. "So, that makes sense, a lot."

Kurama quirked an eyebrow. "How so?"

She sighed and tried to lay out the pieces in her head again. _How to explain?_ she thought. "So, I'll get to my theory later. As far as you go, it's, well, I don't know. It's weird. When I felt your energy for the first time, it was the feeling you get when you're running and you could run forever and know you'll never run out of breath. So, I guess you could associate that with a fox, right. But along with that . . . I didn't smell it, per say, but I could tell there was the scent of a forest. So, that makes sense, to what kind of demon you are, right?"

Kurama nodded, his eyes calculating as he took everything she said in.

"I've always sensed Hiei in terms of cold, so it's weird knowing he's a fire demon. But I know about _Yukina," _she whispered the word in case she was nearby, "so maybe the cold isn't so crazy an energy trait. And when he's calmer, his energy is warmer, I think. At least, not as cold. Before I realized my energy sensing was weird I had always assumed these shots of cold I could feel from him were anger or something. So, that would make sense too. As he becomes less angry he grows warmer?"

"It is possible," Kurama said.

"So then I thought, well maybe I'm feeling moments of high emotion, since I have to seek out energy to feel it otherwise. But that didn't make sense since I couldn't feel any of those demons at the wedding. Sure, maybe they weren't happy enough for me to feel, but you would assume, right? Instead, I'm feeling moments of anger, malice," she paused for a moment, "and fear, or hurt."

"You've felt Hiei fear?" Kurama questioned skeptically.

Terra shook her head. "That I doubt. But, when I felt you, you were rushing here for Genkai. Then your energy faded when she was stable for so long. Then she got worse, and I could feel you again. I never said because I was too wrapped up in what was going on. I-," she looked down at her plate for a moment, "I also felt Yusuke. I still feel Yusuke. His energy is as overpowering now as Hiei's was when I came to the temple. I feel his mourning."

Kurama's eyes were sad. "What does his energy feel like?"

Terra sighed and ruffled her hair. "Like, like adrenaline, but different than yours. It's not that running sensation, it's," Terra didn't know how to explain. "I feel like it would be excitement if he weren't in such a depressed mood, but when I feel him now, it's like that jolt of panic where your heart starts racing, that zero to sixty feel."

The two of them remained in silence for some time before Kurama picked his chopsticks back up. "I would trust your instincts," he said simply.

"So, you agree with my theory."

Kurama took a bite of his food and chewed slowly, thinking. "I believe that it is a likely possibility what you're telling me, that you're sensing moments of distress and anger, along with an idea of what type of demon you are facing. Why do you think that is?"

Terra had the impression Kurama already pieced that one together, but she tried to see the picture for herself anyway. "I guess I could take it as, don't fuck with this demon, they're likely to lash out."

Kurama smiled gently. "Likely, yes. If you're observations are accurate, if would seem you have a skill for gauging threats that is more in tune with individualized demons than blanket energy readings. It could be very useful if you learn to hone it."

Terra nodded and shoved some more of her food down. "Well, enough about me," she began with a smirk. "A story for a story, remember. I have a question."

Kurama smirked faintly at her antics. "Which is?"

"Do you have a thing for Shizuru?" The question definitely caught the demon off guard. Terra intently watched his facial expressions he tried to coolly to hide. "The two of you are always talking by yourselves late at night, early in the morning, standing near each other," she prompted, looking for clues on his face. She felt triumphant when the slightest tinge of pink darkened his cheeks. It would have been unnoticeable on his features had she not been waiting for it.

"We simply have similar sleeping habits and are up at the same hours," he explained, his voice giving nothing away.

"I'm sure you do," she smirked.

"Think what you will," Kurama said, standing and clearing his plate. "It's of no consequence."

"Uh-huh," Terra said with a smile. "I believe you."

X

When she opened the door to the dojo she was stunned from all further movement. In her time away it seemed Yusuke and Hiei really had started a fight. It was something she had never seen the likes of before. They moved near beyond her comprehension of sight.

"He really is going easy on me," Terra murmured to herself.

For what felt like an eternity, Terra watched the two boys try their best to beat the other to a pulp.

"Pretty intense, huh?" Kuwabara remarked. She hadn't noticed him until then.

She nodded slowly, not taking her eyes away. "I can barely make out what they're doing," she said in disbelief.

"Me too. It takes practice. I'm sure you're missing half the fight, too."

Terra nodded again. "I believe that."

Kuwabara laughed and clapped her on the back. "They're probably not gonna be done for a while. How about we go into the other room and start our own fight."

"You really think you can take me," Terra smirked knowing she still had long to go before reaching Kuwabara's level.

"I can take the challenge," he smirked back.

The two of them headed over to the smaller dojo space. "Maybe I should put in my contacts. You wouldn't hit a girl with glasses, would you?"

"I wouldn't hit a _girl_," Kuwabara joked, hitting her arm slightly.

"Oh, that's it, this is on!" Terra exclaimed. She pushed her glasses firmly onto the bridge of her nose and prayed she didn't lose them in the fight. Then she paused and looked at Kuwabara with a bit of a sheepish grin. "Although, I'm not very good at the whole attacking part of fighting."

"Well, hopefully this will make good practice," Kuwabara laughed. "I'll go easy on you, promise."

"If you say so." Terra stuck out her tongue at him, and apparently that cued him to begin.

To Terra, this is what training should be. Kuwabara barely touched her and actually helped her notice where the openings to hit were, unlike Hiei who just beat the shit out of her until she learned better. "I wouldn't _actually_ hit a lady," Kuwabara said at with a laugh. "But this is just practice, so I can help you out."

In response, Terra swung for his gut, which he skillfully avoided. She never thought she'd see the oaf so graceful.

X

It still hurt. Of course it did. It was only a few days since she had gotten herself as drunk as possible and begged to be killed. Genkai's death resonated within her. She was in pain, but somehow she got through. She had to get through. _No more running, _Terra told herself. Terra found it best to just keep living, not to dwell on the past. She had some experience on the matter. So, she messed with Kurama, she trained with Hiei, she joked with Yusuke and Kuwabara.

Terra knew that time did not heal all wounds. She knew this pain would always be there. It would always hurt to think about the deaths of those she loved. Time did nothing but make it easier to forget, have more memories build on top until you're finally able to think of someone and pull up the happy memories and not the sad ones.

In the meantime, Terra felt the need to get out of this cycle of depression. It was dangerous for her, she knew this. And she wasn't running away this time. And there was no Jeremy to run to and heal her.

So she would continue to live, to try her best to live.

X

Terra stood next to Kuwabara and Yukina as they waved the rest of the group off. Terra wasn't sure when Koenma and Boton left. They portaled away sometime during her training, she supposed. She didn't mind not having said goodbye, she hardly knew them. But she was glad to see the rest of them off, despite how aching tired her muscles were.

When the last off them could no longer be seen, they turned to go inside. "It'll be nice having you guys here too," Terra told the couple. "I know you live here, but you left with the rest of them after your wedding, so I'm not used to it."

"Yes, I should enjoy having time home with some quite, but some company," Yukina said with a kind smile.

"Speaking of that," Kuwabara started as they turned down the hall Terra lived, "why haven't you moved to a different room. Sure those guys have their own, basically, but all the extras used for the wedding guests are free now. I would have guessed you wanted to get away from the pipsqueak as soon as possible."

Terra shrugged, stopping by her door. It was late and she was tired from the day's training. "I guess I've gotten used to it. Besides, I'm settled."

She knew she could move all her things in one go; she had almost left the temple after all. But, it felt like her room, and she didn't want to leave it.

"Suit yourself," Kuwabara laughed. "Goodnight, Terra."

"Night, Kuwabara. Goodnight, Yukina."

"Goodnight, Terra," the ice apparition said with a smile. She watched them head down the hall a bit and then went into her room.

Despite how different everything was, everything felt oddly normal. Terra collapsed onto her bed and tried to lose her heavy heart she had been ignoring all day. Thankfully, sleep took her that night with no protest. Not even the faintest nightmare

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

Had difficulties writing this chapter. Hope it came out well.

Thanks _**Shiningheart_of_ThunderClan**_ for the review! Always appreciated. :)

I don't have much to say today. Hm. Anywho, thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy.


	22. Chapter 22

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**In the Wake of What Follows**

**_Chapter Twenty-Two_**

Terra walked into the kitchen where Yukina was packing lunches for herself and her husband.

"Want some help?" she offered.

Yukina smiled gently and shook her head. "No thank you. I'm almost done."

"I can't believe you're already abandoning me," Terra joked, gathering herself some breakfast. "It's only been a month and a half."

"You can still change your mind and join us."

Terra shook her head and sat down at the counter, swirling her yogurt with a face of disgust. It didn't seem very appetizing at the moment. "Nah, you two have fun visiting. After everything that happened last month, I don't think I can handle being away from my training. I might go crazy."

Yukina giggled. "Yes, you very well might. Especially being in a much smaller house with the boys."

Terra laughed with her and turned back to her breakfast. "Ugh, I don't want this." She swirled the yogurt around a few more times, stuck and spoonful in her mouth, and swallowed hard. "I'm making toast," she declared, tossing the yogurt.

Yukina turned to her friend and frowned. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Terra said, brushing the ice apparition off.

"You don't look well. You're quite pale."

"I'm always pale," Terra joked. "I'm just tired. I don't sleep well."

"I know, but you seem off today."

Terra shrugged. "It's just catching up to me, is all. Honestly, I'm just tired," she insisted. "Hey, when you come back, bring me a few pictures of Tomio on his feet. God, I can't believe that kid is walking already."

"Yes, it's wonderful, isn't it!" Yukina beamed, thinking of the little boy.

"Are you and Kuwabara planning on kids?"

Yukina smiled softly and poured each of them a cup of tea. "You know, it's strange, isn't it, the way things work out. Had Kazuma been born in a different time, we wouldn't have been able to have children together."

"What do you mean?"

Yukina smiled and sat across from Terra. "The way my people work, in terms of reproduction, is much different than that of humans. We birth a child, always a girl, once every hundred years. So, you see, if Kuzuma wasn't born when he was, or we didn't meet each other when we did, we wouldn't have children, because I am just now entering my one-hundredth year of life."

Terra gapped for a moment before reaching her hand over and squeezing Yukina's excitedly. "Yukina, that's wonderful. Congratulations, I suppose. You're not pregnant yet, are you?"

The ice apparition shook her head. "During our hundredth year, it is the same as your ovulation state, I suppose. We don't need partners, but if we lay with a man during that time, we not only do we have our girl, we will have a boy as well."

"So, next year you'll be having twins?"

Yukina nodded. "Next year I will be having twins."

"You'll make a terrific mother," Terra assured her.

For a moment Terra wondered if that was her relation to Hiei. It fit. Terra new they were related, but twins? Yin and Yang, she supposed. Before she could think it over more, Yukina spoke up.

"Have you ever thought about having children?"

Terra looked into her cup. The tea was already getting cold. "You know, when I was younger, I always pictured myself a mom. But at the same time, I could never picture myself with someone. I wanted to get married and have a family, but I couldn't picture it actually happening. Then Jeremy and I fell in love, and I thought maybe it could. Then he died, and now it seems more impossible than ever. I like kids, I do, but I don't want one unless there's someone to have them with, you know? And, I don't think I'll ever find that."

"You mustn't think like that, Terra. You're a lovely woman. I'm sure there's love out for you still."

"If you say so," Terra said with a half hearted laugh.

X

After seeing Yukina and Kuwabara off, Terra and Hiei resumed their training for the day. The third time Hiei easily knocked her down, he stood over her with the pole to her throat. "Stop messing around, woman. Stand up and fight."

"Sorry," Terra said, slowly knocking the pole away.

Hiei quirked his eyebrow. He could tell something was off with her. She was weaker than normal, and not trying as hard. Normally, even with her inferior physical strength, she had an inner will he compared to Yusuke's that refused to let her give up. Terra was weary on her feet and stumbled standing.

"Pull yourself together," he snapped.

Terra nodded. Suddenly her eyes were swimming. She felt dizzy and winded and suddenly everything went black.

X

Terra's eyes fluttered open. It was dark out. She found herself in her futon with her blanket on top of her. It took a moment for her to remember what had happened, and then she realized that Hiei must have put her to bed.

"So you're awake?" he asked.

Terra nearly shot out of her skin. "Jesus, Hiei."

"You fainted," he commented, coming around so she could see him. He must have been sitting on her windowsill again.

"I figured," she said, sitting up. A towel fell from her forehead she hadn't noticed before. She stared at it for a moment. _Hiei really took care of me_, she thought. Terra shivered violently for a second. Without really thinking, she reached up for her necklace. As she touched her skin it came to her she wouldn't have been wearing it for training. Her skin though was hot. Terra touched her cheeks and her forehead.

"What?" Hiei asked.

"I have a fever," she said, pulling the blankets off. "I'll-"

"Stay," he commanded. "I'll call Kurama again."

_Again?_ she wondered. Terra looked up at Hiei, blinking a few times to get her contacts to adjust correctly. A part of her wanted to protest she was fine, another wanted to go back to sleep. When she opened her mouth, all she seemed to say was "You know how to use a phone?"

"Hn," he snapped and headed out the room.

She lied back down and wrapped herself tightly with the blanket. A wave of shivers overtook her. Terra got headaches often, and common colds as often as the average person, but she very rarely got feverish. Still, she was sure this would pass.

When Hiei returned, he leaned against the doorframe and stared. "He can't come for another day," he told her. Terra shivered again. "Humans are so weak."

"Yeah, well," she mumbled. "Demons don't get sick?"

He stayed silent for a moment. "Kurama said," he sighed and looked away, "Kurama said I should help burn out the fever."

"I'm fine," Terra mumbled, closing her eyes and trying to wrap the blankets tighter. "Just get me some Nyquil." Somewhere in the back of her mind, Terra knew Hiei had no clue what the drug was. She also knew Genkai wasn't a fan of modern medicine and, with Yukina being a healer, they weren't likely to have it.

Another wave of shivers hit her and Hiei was by her side. Terra tried to think of how this sickness snuck up on her. She had been dizzy lately, light headed and short of breath. She supposed it wasn't so sudden, after all. In the end, it left her without the strength to even protest as Hiei lifted her to a sitting position and wrapped his arms around her, his chest pressed firmly against her back. Despite the fire of Hiei's body, she still felt cold. Shivering, she yearned for the heat he gave her. With every quiver of her body, he seemed to raise the strength of fire in his blood until it was as if flames licked her skin. Yet still she shivered. The fever was strong. She stayed in his arms without the mental capacity to find it uncomfortable, reveling in his warmth, until she fell asleep.

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

First off, thanks to everyone for sticking through this rough patch.

Secondly, I'm sorry. This is in no way the chapter I had meant to send you and this isn't my best writing, I know. The conversation with Yukina was about all I could manage to salvage, and I know it's changed a bit. I remember I had a bit with Kuwabara, but I can't remember any of it, so I just skipped onto the next chapter instead, but by doing so this ended up being really short, I don't know. Hopefully the super cliche sick scene makes up for all the problems going on lately. Too bad Terra's too out of it to appreciate the glory I have given her.

Thirdly, thanks for the people who reviewed chapter 21. I don't remember and am currently too lazy to look them up.

Fourth, I love you. Yep, hi. I'm so excited to be working on this again.

However, finals are next week, so no promises on a super quick update.


	23. Chapter 23

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**In the Wake of What Follows**

_**Chapter Twenty-Three**_

"I'm really surprised at you, Hiei," Kurama mused. "You've grown quite fond of her."

"Hn," Hiei huffed, glaring at the fox. "I'm not fond of anything." His voice was threatening the fox to tease him once more. "Humans are weak," he spat. "I don't know how you could choose to live as one."

Kurama looked over Hiei, who still held a sleeping Terra in his arms. She didn't look well, pale and pasty, sweat clung her hair to her forehead, and she still shook every few moments. Kurama placed his medicine bag down and knelt by the pair.

"If this were Yusuke, you wouldn't have bothered to call me. More than that, had you called me, you wouldn't had attempted to burn the fever out."

"If this were Yusuke, he wouldn't be sick."

"Fine, Keiko then. You wouldn't have been concerned enough to take care of her." Hiei said nothing, but Kurama could feel the fire demon seething. Terra shivered and Kurama wondered if that was from the cold she felt when Hiei was angry. "I need you to let her go so I can take an accurate temperature."

Hiei consented, gently letting her fall back onto the bed and left the room completely.

"I just find it strange, is all," Kurama continued, knowing the fire demon could still hear him. "You were always so suspicious of her. And now you're nursing her fever." Kurama waited, but Hiei never returned. Still, he could feel the demon's energy. He wasn't so far away he couldn't be here any moment. "You know, you're not very different, the pair of you," he told the air. "Both of you came here suffering from great loss, and you've built these walls and you're struggling for a reason to live. You even have mirroring scars. The one when you were training under Mukuro and Shigure sliced you in half. Only part of you healed completely, but a scar still stretches across your side. On the opposite side, she bears a similar marking from the demon attack that brought her to us."

He sat in silence, placing a cool towel on Terra's forehead.

"It's interesting, isn't it? The way things come to be…"

X

When Terra awoke again, daylight was pouring into her room and Kurama was sitting by her side.

"Good to see you with the living," he chuckled.

"It wasn't that bad, was it?" Terra asked with a hoarse voice.

"Not terrible, but you fainted Sunday, and you're waking Tuesday."

Terra sat up, but much like the first time they met, Kurama gently forced her back down. She groaned and pushed the blanket off of her. She was drenched in a cold sweat and it was really uncomfortable. "I just wanna shower," she pleaded.

"Just rest a bit more, to ease my mind." She rolled her eyes at her doctor but consented. "How long have you been feeling ill?" he questioned.

Terra shrugged. "For a few days, I guess."

"I took your vitals when you were asleep," he told her. "Your blood sugar's extremely low, so is your iron level. What's your diet been lately?'

Again Terra shrugged. "I haven't been eating much. Rice and toast mostly." She bit her lip and looked away. "Genkai always yelled at me to eat. I guess without her, I forget easily."

Kurama sighed and stood up. "I'll get you some food. I think you've been taxing yourself since the funeral as well. I called Kuwabara and he said you've been training at all hours and hardly sleeping."

"Yeah, well, that's about it. Congratulations, I don't take care of myself."

"Terra."

She sat up despite Kurama's protests. In a moment she remembered her brief moments of being awake. "…Hiei?"

"Called me after putting you to bed when you fainted. He thought you might have a fever, but he can't check for that since his body is so much warmer than yours naturally. I told him to wait until you woke up, and then call me. And he did. He said you had a fever, and I told him to help burn it out. I hope you enjoyed it."

"Who would enjoy being sick?" Terra said, rubbing her eyes until her contacts came out.

She missed Kurama smirk.

"Just, sit tight, I'll make you a hearty lunch. You need the nutrients."

Terra sighed and nodded, but when Kurama left the room she got out of bed and headed toward the baths. She needed to feel clean again. Terra ran cool water and stood under it. It was like a blessing to her skin to feel the running water washing away the muggy mess of her body.

As she stepped out of the shower and put on her underwear, Terra caught sight of her reflection in the mirror. Without her contacts, her figure was blurry. A sudden wave of depression hit her. Coming closer to the mirror so she could see herself clearly, Terra took in the image of herself. She seemed so different from the girl she used to be. Her body was lean and toned and there was visible muscle where there used to be flab. It didn't seem like her at all. This wasn't the reflection she was used to. Still, there were signs that this was Terra, this wasn't some trick.

The scar from the demon attack was darker than the rest of her skin, wrapping from the small of her back to her belly button. Terra turned to the side for a better look. It had hardened into a scar fashioned for a warrior as her abs had toned, but there was no mistaking it. The scar was the same she had received almost a year ago.

Just above the scar, though, was a real sign of this being her body. Her first tattoo was scrawled across her ribcage. She was still amazed the words hadn't been mangled in the attack. In actuality, it almost looked as if the words had been placed there afterwards; they fit so nicely into one another. Terra ran her fingers over the words she tried had lived by for so long. _Why survive when you can live_, it read. After her friend committed suicide after high school, Terra got those words imprinted into her skin. She wanted to live. She was only surviving. She wanted to live.

She felt weak. Anger boiled in her for having gotten sick, for having fainted during training.

Before rushing out of the bathroom and back to her room, Terra pulled on a robe and stared at herself for another few moments. Nestled in the groove of her pelvis next to her right hip bone was Terra's second tattoo. She glanced to that area, covered by cloth. Another mark to prove this was her body, one she saw often. _This is real_, Terra thought_, this is me._

When she reached her room, Terra threw on a pair of shorts. Kurama opened the door while she was still rummaging for a shirt.

"Pardon me," he said.

Before stepping out, Terra stopped him. "Oh, please. It's nothing you haven't seen before."

Kurama stayed still for a moment, but then chose to enter and place her tray of food next to her futon. "I see you took a shower. You should be in bed."

"I need to wash it first. I must have sweated three pounds into it."

"Still, rest and eat."

Terra pulled on a shirt, covering her scar and quote. Looking at the dish Kurama had prepared, her stomach churned. It looked delicious, but she couldn't find the appetite. "Sorry, I must be queasy from the fever."

"Eat," he commanded.

Terra sat and took a few quick bites of the food before standing up again. "I'm sorry," she said, still chewing, "I can't. I feel like shit right now and I really need to-," she cut off, not knowing how to explain. Grabbing her iPod, she headed out the door, but Kurama put his arm across the door, stopping her.

"Eat," he commanded again.

Terra ducked under his arm through the doorway, but before she could make it one step past the fame, Hiei was blocking her path. His sudden appearance startled her. He took a step forward forcing her to step back into the room.

"Eat," Hiei said darkly.

Shaken, Terra took a seat on the ground and slowly began eating her meal.

"Thank you for the assistance, Hiei," Kurama said smugly. Terra wondered what had gone on between them she had missed. Obviously something. Kurama wouldn't be smug to someone without an underlying taunt. Checking his watch, he shook his head. "I'm afraid I should be going. I'm on call tonight, so I have to make it back to town quickly." Kurama turned to Hiei, the same smug look on his face. "I'm putting her on bed rest until Yukina returns. I trust her judgment as to whether she can continue her training. Make sure she eats."

"Now I'm a babysitter," Hiei remarked with annoyance.

Terra glared at him. "I don't need someone looking after me," she protested.

"Obviously, you do," Kurama quipped. "You haven't been taking care of yourself, and because of that your body wasn't able to fight off a simple cold virus without shutting the rest of your body down. This is serious, Terra. I'm very serious. I'm prescribing you three days of food and sleep. Take the break."

Looking up at the two powerful demons, she knew she didn't have a choice in the matter.

X

"Where are you going?"

Terra jumped, her heart in her throat. Now that his energy wasn't crazy cold, he always seemed to come out of nowhere.

"Nowhere," she lied. Terra had her iPod with her and was heading to the dojo.

"Then go back to your room."

She groaned and turned to look at the demon. "I'm fine, honest." Hiei's red eyes glared at her until she begrudgingly went to the kitchen. "You can't yell at me for getting food. I'm supposed to be eating lots, says the doctor."

"You're supposed to be on bed rest," Hiei snipped, following her into the kitchen.

"Yeah, well, I'm going crazy in there."

"Hn." Hiei disappeared again, moving too quickly for her to see.

Terra rummaged for a snack. She wasn't really hungry, but she was bored enough food seemed like a decent option.

"Two more days," Terra muttered to herself. "Just two more days."

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

So, I'm happy to say now that I'm back writing this, my addiction to my own story is just as strong and posts should be coming fairly quickly, despite the fact I still have an essay to write and three finals to really study for.

Thanks **erp** for the review. I'm glad you liked it. I hope I've gotten back into the swing of things with the story and it doesn't seem disconnected from my time off writing it.


	24. Chapter 24

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**In the Wake of What Follows**

_**Chapter Twenty-Four**_

"What are you doing?"

A little scream escaped Terra's lips as she fell onto her back. She had been doing yoga and was in a handstand when Hiei spoke. She sat up glaring at the fire demon. He had come in through the window again.

"Nothing," she snapped.

He looked at her blankly. She was obviously lying. "Guess I really have to baby sit you. Stupid woman."

"Hiei-"

"You're on bed rest. Stop training."

Terra huffed and sat on her bed. Hiei watched as she pulled a book from her dresser and began reading. They were silent for a few minutes before Terra pulled her book away from her face with a frustrated huff.

"Do you have to stare at me? It's really unnerving."

Without a word, Hiei leaned back against the window frame and looked out over the mountain. Knowing he was still aware of what she was doing, she felt better knowing she wasn't being subjected to his unwavering stare. It made her squirm.

Terra turned her attentions back to the book at hand. It was a novella at the back of a book she had read for a literature class. Starting it, she had no idea what it was about, but now only a few pages in Terra could already feel her eyes start to water. It was too close to home to handle.

"Why are you crying?" Hiei asked. If Terra thought him capable of the emotion, she would have mistaken his tone for worry. Terra shut the book and slid it across the room. Hiei glanced between the shut book and the girl for a moment. "I can't read your glyphs, fool."

"What, your magic demon eyes don't change things to make you understand like your magic ears do?" Terra scoffed.

"Hn." Hiei looked back outside. "Ask Kurama. I can't read your human language." Terra crawled off the bed and picked up the book. Again she began to read. "Why do you read that when it makes you sad?"

Terra shrugged. _Moonlight Shadow_ by Banana Yoshimoto was progressively becoming a variation of her own circumstances. Her love had died at such a young age and now she mourns. Terra sighed. She didn't know why she continued reading it. Something compelled her, like a sense of compassion and loneliness, to know the ending of this girl's story. Terra wondered how it would differ from her own.

"Why do you care?" Terra asked. "For the longest time I thought you hated me." She looked up at Hiei, but his eyes were still fixed on the view out the window.

"I had no reason to like you and I had no reason to trust you, but Kurama is right. We share a number of similarities."

"So you and Kurama have conversations about me?" Terra scoffed, turning the page. Hiei didn't respond. "I like reading for two reasons. One, and you'll probably hate me for this, but it's a way of escape. I can forget the real world a bit when reading books. Two, it's always nice to feel like someone else understands. Because, even if these characters aren't real, the author had to have known something of grief in order to write it."

"Hn."

Terra read as much as she could before her eyes became blurry with tears. She set the book down and blinked back the tears. Her heart was heavy reading this story. She needed a break from it.

"I'm surprised at you," Hiei said. Terra snapped her head up to look at him, her face clearly asking "How?" "You didn't ask how we were similar."

"I wasn't expecting to get an answer from you if I had."

"Hn." Hiei smirked and looked back out the window.

After a few moments of drying her eyes, Terra decided to ask. "So, how exactly does Kurama find us similar?"

"That's something to ask Kurama, is it not?"

Terra rolled her eyes and tried not to smile. He was toying with her. Terra rested her head back on the wall. _When is Yukina going to get back?_ Terra wondered. She knew it wasn't for another day, but she wanted them to return soon so she could get back to training.

Rising to her feet, Hiei moved to stop her. "Relax," she told him, "I'm just getting food. You want anything?"

Hiei sat back on her windowsill and shook his head. He waited there for her to return, following her energy to make sure she didn't do anything stupid. She didn't. After a few minutes the smell of meat cooking filled the house. Maybe half an hour later Terra returned to her room. The sun was beginning to set.

Terra went to pick her book back up, but stopped when Hiei spoke.

"Like you, I lost my reason to live. For as long as my entire childhood it was to find my home and get revenge."

From her bed Terra tried not to gawk. She couldn't fathom why Hiei was all of a sudden disclosing such information with her. In silence, Terra listened as Hiei told her how he searched for his home, found it, then searched for his sister, and found her. And knowing she was safe, had no longer a reason to keep going. Like Terra said, he merely existed. Then his relationship with Mukuro. It had given him a new reason to live, although he didn't know how to explain it.

"It wasn't vengeance, and it wasn't something as pathetic as love," he informed her. "It hurt when she died, and I wasn't sure if my new reason to live continued without her, but watching your attempts to keep going have been," he paused unsure of himself. Hiei wasn't sly with words like Kurama. He didn't know how to explain himself without the use of combat and rage. "You may be a foolish woman, but you're right," he said. "Most people do only exist without some higher purpose. But that may be all they need. Even a hero's life goes on after his story closes. Yusuke's a prime example."

Terra stared at him in silence. Her heart had slowly sped up during his speech and it now beat in her chest like a hummingbird. Had she tried to speak then, no words would have come out. Hiei glanced over to her and quickly looked away, a snarl overcoming his features. "Don't look at me like that," he snapped. Terra reeled back, taking in a deep breath as if she had been drowning this entire time and only now breached the surface. His words and his steely features knocked the air back into her lungs.

"Like what?" she questioned, looking around flustered. She fixed her gaze on the far corner opposite the window. She had been staring at him for some time.

Hiei was very quiet. Terra was unsure if he was still there, but she didn't dare look his way.

"Never mind," he spat.

She spun her head towards the window, but he was gone.

X

Hiei didn't appear all the next day. Terra didn't attempt working out because she knew Hiei would stop her, and after last night she wasn't sure she wanted to face him. Her heart sped just thinking about it. She couldn't fathom why he trusted her enough to tell her these things willingly. Terra never even asked him about it.

_But that was it, wasn't it_, Terra thought. She had asked him. That was how they were similar. They had lost their purpose and found they didn't need one; they just needed to keep on living.

Terra bit her lip. It just seemed very intimate for Hiei to be sharing with her. He was even the one to bring it up in the first place. She just couldn't put this puzzle together.

Late that afternoon Terra picked up the energy of someone nearing the temple. She had been getting better at sensing the demons in the forest, so it wasn't of total surprise, but when she heard them out front Terra jumped out of bed and raced to the front door.

"Thank god you're home!" She called. "I've been _dying_ here stuck wi- huh?" Expecting Yukina and Kuwabara, Terra stopped in her tracks when she realized her mistake. "Jin?"

"Surry ta be disturbin' ye so late," he said. Terra could see little of the upstart sprite who had more energy than Yusuke she met at the wedding in this demon before her. "Jest, I heard 'bout Genkai."

"Yeah," Terra said, dropping her gaze. She felt ashamed for having greeted him with such enthusiasm. It made it seem like she hardly cared about Genkai's passing. "The shrine's out back. You want anything?" Jin shook his head.

Terra checked up on him an hour later, still just sitting in front of Genkai's shrine. The incense he burned was near gone already. "You need anything?" she asked again. Again, Jin shook his head. "Wanna talk?" she offered. Jin shook his head. "Well, I'll be here," she said, heading back inside.

"No bother," Jin told her, standing. "I'll be off then. Thank yer for this."

"It was nothing."

Silently, Jin shot into the air. Terra swallowed hard. She wondered how many other of those demons would come to visit.

It was getting dark already and Terra felt the need to go to the roof. Just as she sat down, Hiei was beside her.

"You shouldn't have come up here. It's still cold at night and you're sick."

"I'm not sick," Terra insisted.

"Until Yukina tells me that, I won't believe it. Now get back inside," he growled at her.

When Terra didn't move, Hiei lifted her and flung her over his shoulder.

"Put me _down_!" she screeched, flailing against Hiei. It was no use. Despite her desperate punches and kicks to free herself from his grip, he held on strong. It only seemed to manage to bruise her hands and toes.

Ignoring her meager attempts at hurting him, Hiei jumped from the roof and brought her inside.

"Why must you be so obstinate?" he questioned with annoyance.

"Why are you doing this?" she yelled in response.

"Doing _what_?" he snapped, carrying her down the hallway.

"_Caring_," she cried with exasperation. He opened the door to her room. "Making me care!"

Hiei set her down on the futon and backed away. Before she could stand up again, he was gone. She wanted to scream. To grab something and throw it hard across the wall. She wanted to slap him. But instead she just sat back down and curled herself into a ball.

"If I care," she whispered into her pillow, "you'll die."

X

"Yes, I see you're well enough to train again. But, I will be keeping a closer watch on your eating habits, Terra," Yukina said with as stern of a look she could muster. It was near comical to see her so serious.

"Yes, Yukina," she said rolling her eyes. Terra glanced over to Hiei. "So, we can start training now?"

"Hn." Hiei disappeared, probably towards the dojo.

Terra stood and thanked Yukina for the checkup. She got dressed for training, putting her necklace away in her dresser like always. When she reached the dojo, Hiei was at the back closet. He had their training poles in hand.

"Before we start," she began, "I think I owe you for the other night." Hiei turned to her with a raised eyebrow. "A story for a story, remember. What do you want to know?"

Hiei stared at her for some time. His eyes seemed to be fixed on her face, but he never locked eyes with her. She watched him as his crimson eyes traveled down to the base of her neck. His stare made her heart skip a beat. She gulped, her mouth suddenly dry and a rush of nerves overrode her senses. It was as if some primal instinct in her was telling her to run. _Fight or Flight_, she vaguely thought in the back of her mind. Terra's leg twitched.

With near cautious steps, Hiei walked towards her. For all the times Hiei glared at her, the uneasiness it gave her never seemed to lessen. As he stopped uncomfortably close to her, Terra had to use all her will just to stay standing and not shake. _Why does he affect me this much_, she cursed at herself. "How did you receive those scars?" he asked faintly. Terra snapped her hand to her neck where Hiei's gaze still lingered. A blush rose against her cheeks at his mere intensity.

Honestly, she was surprised Hiei had noticed. They were so light, even she had to look for them in the mirror. She supposed they were more visible to demon eyes like Hiei had. Thousands of little specks like white freckles were scattered across her right side. There were a few larger ones closer to her neck, but all the major scars from large pieces of glass were on her arm. She had blocked herself well enough.

"The car crash," she told him. "A car hit our side and the glass shattered and a lot of it got into my skin."

"Your arm too?"

Terra nodded.

Hiei looked up into her eyes and Terra's breath hitched. He was so close her skin felt like she stepped into a furnace. He shoved a training pole into her hand, forcing her to stumble back a few steps. Terra planted her feet and without thinking put her pole into the defensive.

"Hn," Hiei smirked. "One week and you've already gone rusty."

"And whose fault is that?" Terra shot back.

"Yours."

Terra let out a dry laugh. A mistake. Hiei moved quickly after all, and always took every opportunity to attack.

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

Gah, took me long enough to write this. But, with this I have finished with the bits I had forgotten in my reconstruction of chapter 22. So, yay! Hope you enjoyed it.

First, I wanna talk about _Moonlight Shadow_. It's a great story I had to read for my Japanese Literature course this past semester at school. It was the last story on our list so I only just read it, but I was really surprised when reading it. It gave me a sense of nostalgia for this fan fiction. It's crazy how the emotions of the main characters line up. I may bring it up again in this fic. I suggest reading it, it's really good.

I'd really like to thank _**BlightPurged**_for the amazing review. Truly, it was great. Thanks for taking the time to really critic it. I'd also like to thank _**lalala**_and **_Lady_C1aire_** for their encouragement. I'm glad you like the story! **  
><strong>

I've gone back and edited all the previous chapters so there should be hopefully no more typos. Can't say for certain there weren't any in this chapter, so feel free to speak up if you see one.

Thanks everyone for reading!


	25. Chapter 25

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**In the Wake of What Follows**

_**Chapter Twenty-Five**_

"Yo, Terra," Kuwabara said with a grin as she walked into the kitchen. "How'd the training go? A full week off must have been tough." Terra groaned, kneading her right arm. Her muscles were so sore from Hiei's training, and it was only half a day. "Sounds about right," he laughed.

"Don't tease her," Yukina said, swaying her spatula at him. "Terra was very ill and she's very brave to be continuing her training right away."

"I wouldn't call it brave," Terra scoffed.

"More like stupid," Kuwabara joked. "But I'd say that about any training with the pipsqueak." Terra stuck her tongue out at the oaf and continued nursing her aching muscles. "Speaking of the shrimp," he continued, "did something happen when we were away between you two?"

Terra looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "I was sick, and that's about it. Why?"

Kuwabara shrugged. "Just, you two seem different around each other."

"Different how?"

Contorting his face in concentration, Kuwabara tried to find words to explain the vibes he had been picking up, but it was no good. With a large sigh and slump of his shoulders, the carrot top gave up. "I don't know!" he exclaimed. "Just seem different, is all. Trying make a guy explain his intuition all nicely like," he grumbled under his breath.

Terra looked towards Yukina. "Have you noticed anything?"

Yukina shook her head, seemingly just as surprised by Kuwabara's accusation as Terra was. "The pair of you seemed just as hostile as usual," she said with a bit of a smile.

To that, the three of them laughed.

X

Terra was on the roof, bathing in the rays of the morning sun. She had been there since four when she woke up from a pretty bad nightmare. Every time she closed her eyes a flash from her dream would reappear, sending her heart racing again. She was tired and bored and had been spending her time on the roof trying to differentiate energies in the woods. It was crawling with demons, after all.

Most of them were too far away to get any real information on, and the ones that did draw near she couldn't seem to find anything about them that wasn't typical demon energy. No temperature or smell. Nothing but her usual bad feeling, although she wouldn't call it bad anymore. That is, it didn't scare her shitless like it used to. Now, it was more like a tingle, or at least that was the best she could describe it.

Then a new energy hit. She was positive it wasn't something from the forest. It was too strong. And while a part of her was proud for recognizing the strength of said energy force, the sheer weight of this demon made her nervous. She was positive Hiei and Kuwabara were stronger than this force, but she couldn't think of what something so strong was doing here. _ Maybe it's another one of the demons from the wedding?_ She thought. Terra hadn't noticed Jin's energy, but then again she hadn't been focusing on energies at the time.

Terra stood, searching for the demon. She ran across the roof towards the back field. It was coming from that way. Its energy, the more she prodded it, felt like a swamp. _What kind of demon is this?_

Before it came into view, Terra spotted Hiei standing in the field. His cloak was off and his sword was strapped to his waist. It looked as if he was ready for an actual fight. A few seconds later Kuwabara came rushing out of the house. "What's going on?" he asked Hiei in a loud whisper.

"Be quiet, fool," Hiei snapped.

The three of them waited. Terra wasn't sure if Kuwabara knew she was up here. She was sure Hiei did. Moments ticked by until a rustling of trees came from the woods just before the clearing. Then he appeared.

He was a little shorter than Kuwabara, but Kuwabara was a giant. This guy was tall. Beyond that, it was hard to make out what he looked like. He was covered in a thick robe and long matted hair covered his face. This was definitely not a demon from the wedding.

Seemingly ignoring Hiei and Kuwabara, the demon kept walking forward. Judging by his path, it seemed to Terra he was heading towards Genkai's shrine. As he didn't seem to be going for either of the boys, they merely watched him, alert to the demon's every movement.

Before reaching the shrine, the demon stopped and sniffed the air. "Nakashima?"

Suddenly, all eyes were on her. A gush of wind hit her. She would have felt like a superhero if it were a little darker out and she had hair long enough to blow in her face. Also, the immense tension that came from that demon's one word broke that illusion pretty fast.

The demon roared her name again and began to charge. In a flash, Hiei had his sword to the demon's throat. It froze, not wanting to die.

"You know this thing!" Kuwabara asked frantically.

Terra shook her head.

"What's going on?" Yukina's small voice asked from the doorway. She rubbed her eyes, still waking up. In unison, both Hiei and Kuwabara told the ice apparition to get back inside, which she quickly did.

The swampy demon sniffed the air again. "No," he said slowly, "not Nakashima."

"What do you mean?" Terra asked.

"A girl?" The swamp creature laughed. Terra thought she could see a tail whip around underneath his robe. "Yes, definitely not Nakashima." It sniffed again, stepping out of the way of Hiei's sword. He headed toward the shrine and kneeled. "Nakashima's blood though," he muttered before lighting an incense.

With a 'hn' Hiei sheathed his sword. The fact that he didn't head back inside meant he still considered the demon a threat, just not an immediate one. Terra made her way off the roof and went to Kuwabara's side.

"Who _is _this guy?" she questioned.

"Dunno," Kuwabara said, shrugging. "Whoever he is, must've known Genkai well enough."

"Yeah."

Hiei remained silent, a deathly intent in his eyes. Terra looked back towards the demon. Yes, that was definitely a tail poking out of his robe. She hadn't met a demon that didn't look completely human. Weird hair, birthmarks, and pointy ears excluded. For the first time, Terra found herself wondering what those demons in the woods really looked like. All she could remember about the ones who attacked her were their weird yellow eyes.

Through all the tension and confusion, the swampy demon let out a loud belch. Then he fell over sideways. Kuwabara's eyes bugged and Terra raced forward. Hiei blocked her path quick enough. Kuwabara sniffed the air in a similar fashion to the swamp demon. However, Kuwabara's nose isn't so sharp as to detect blood lines. "Is he drunk? His burp smelled of whiskey."

Terra rolled her eyes. "Yes, he seems to be drunk. Hiei, can you let me pass? He may feel strong, but he's passed out."

Hiei didn't move.

Yukina opened the door again and cautiously poked her head out. "Is everything okay? It's very quiet."

Kuwabara turned to his wife with a lopsided grin. "The guy just passed out. We don't even know who he is."

Yukina looked between them and the drunk demon and shook her head. "Well, I'll make an extra plate, just in case."

"There's no reason to be hospitable to an intruder," Hiei snapped. Yukina ignored this and went back inside to fix them all breakfast.

X

It was sometime later that the swamp demon awoke. It was the smell of Yukina's cooking that did the trick. Apparently the guy hadn't eaten in some time. Terra was just thankful he didn't eat people. Also, he wasn't a "swamp" demon as she had kept thinking of him. Though his energy did give that swampy vibe to her. He was a Wani, although Terra hadn't heard of that type of demon.

After Kuwabara deemed the guy good, declaring he always had a knack of judging character, Yukina brought food out for all of them. (Hiei wouldn't let the newcomer inside.) That was when Terra and the rest found out about Rizu. He was a very lizardy looking creature. His face though was mostly human looking with an undertone the make him seem like a dog. Full and, as Terra assessed, still a little drunk, Rizu was more than willing to discuss old times with Nakashima's decedent.

Hiei, throughout the conversation, seemed even more displeased with things than usual. Although, it wasn't enough to make his energy cold.

"So, how did you know Genkai?" Kuwabara started.

"We were teammates. Seems like forever ago. Haven't heard from her since we won the bloody Dark Tournament, but she was a damn powerful girl. Thought I'd pay my respects."

"Wait, the Dark Tournament!" Kuwabara sputtered. "You teamed up with Genkai?"

"Hn, that would mean he was teammates with the Toguro brothers as well," Hiei remarked.

"Fucking bastards," Rizu said. "Practically blackmailed me into joining their team. Lucky for them I wanted to live enough I didn't just throw a match." He bursted out laughing. Yes, still drunk.

"So, Genkai fought in the Dark Tournament with the Toguro brothers?" Terra asked. This was news to her.

Yukina nodded. "Yes, um, it was about fifty years before Yusuke and Kuwabara and Hiei fought."

"You runts were in the tournament?" Rizu asked with another burp. "Let anybody in these days."

"Yes," Hiei said bitterly. "And we killed those brothers."

"Ooh now? Impressive." Rizu talked on for a while, bashing the brothers to no end. It was obvious he wasn't a fan. It had really pissed him off that Genkai fell for the 'tall one' as he called him. Rizu recalled Genkai as a beautiful woman capable of killing him, which was something he apparently admired in a girl. "So thanks for taking care of them, I guess," he laughed. Then he burped again. "I think I'm sobering up."

"How long have you been drunk?" Kuwabara asked.

Rizu shrugged. "A few days maybe. What's time anyway when there's sake?" He reminded Terra of Chu.

Terra sat in silence just listening as Kuwabara and the demon bantered a bit, but finally she spoke up. "Who did you know that I was related to?"

Rizu looked up and sniffed at her. He was blind, apparently a common trait among his kind. "Nakashima. Nakashima Ryunosuke. Our fifth."

"You needed a team of five to compete in the Dark Tournament," Kuwabara told Terra.

"Ryunosuke is the first name of my great grandfather," Terra said. "Genkai fought with my great grandfather?" It sounded preposterous. Terra had never met the man before he died, and even if she had she would have been too young to remember. Still, it seemed ridiculous. Something in Terra's chest sank. "Is that why she took me in?"

For whatever reason, Terra looked over at Hiei. "Did she tell you?"

Hiei, who had his death glare fixed on the lizard, flicked his eyes her way for a moment and nodded.

"News to me," Kuwabara said. "Kinda freaky huh, how things happen like that."

Terra stood up and rushed to her room. This was all too much. She couldn't help wondering why Genkai never told her. _Was all she ever saw in me the reminiscence of her old fighting buddy?_ She didn't know why, but this thought hurt.

In her room, Terra cursed herself for not keeping her computer. She wanted to do some major research on Ryunosuke. A new puzzle had been shoved into her lap and she had no one to ask but Hiei. And, well, Rizu, but she didn't want to get involved with him. Rizu gave a bad vibe. But it didn't make sense that Genkai would tell Hiei but not her. It just didn't.

Terra leaned back onto the wall and slid down until she was sitting. The energy from the swamp demon (it was too late, that's what she thought of him) began to fade away. They had run out of food not long before she left and he didn't seem to care for their company without it. _Providence_, Terra thought. That was the word Genkai used. It was providence that she ended up at the temple. A girl with spirit awareness was the one to survive out of the three of them, not the two ordinary humans. A girl who just so happened to be a descendant of someone in Genkai's youth.

"Just who the hell was my great grandfather?" Terra snapped at her swirling thoughts.

Hiei rapped on her door. She didn't feel like training at the moment. A miracle considered how intent she was just days before about getting back to it. Still, Terra got ready and headed to the dojo.

"I was surprised you sensed him so quickly," he said when she entered the room.

"Yeah, only 'cause I was practicing at the time."

"At least you're reading energies at all."

Terra picked up her training pole and readied herself. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

Dun dun dun, new conflict! Actually, Rizu will be a huge factor in (much) later events.

I'd like to thank _**Kajihenge_Yoko**_and **_BlightPurged_ **(major props to you, giving strong reviews to most every story you read, I'm impressed) for their reviews.

Also, thanks _**Uqluiorra12345**_for her hearts on chapter 11. Random, but I'll take it! =P

Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed it!


	26. Chapter 26

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**In the Wake of What Follows**

_**Chapter Twenty-Six**_

It was late. Yukina and Kuwabara were already asleep. Who knows about Hiei. Terra wasn't sure he slept at all. Still, Terra couldn't get to sleep. There was too much on her mind from yesterday's events. She stood, making a decision.

Terra exited her room and headed far back inside the temple. Terra hadn't ventured this way in a while. After a few moments, she found herself in front of Genkai's room. Yukina had cleaned it, but everything was just the way Genkai had it. She opened the door, unsure of herself, but not knowing any other course to take. With tired eyes, Terra rummaged around through Genkai's things.

She felt like she was invading, and a part of her felt very guilty for doing so. This was Genkai, the woman who took her in and made her strong. It was as if she were betraying her simply by being in the room. Terra pushed these thoughts to the back of her mind and continued searching.

Eventually she came across an old photograph. "She sure was pretty," she whispered, looking at the photo. Genkai stood with the Toguro brothers, judging by Yusuke's descriptions, someone who was undoubtedly Rizu, and another man. Terra couldn't be sure, she didn't know her great grandfather's face well. She doubted she could even pick out her grandfather's face. But this must have been him when he was young. The man looked about seventeen in the photo. Flipping the photo over, the names of the members were scrawled in Kanji. Terra didn't read the language as well as she would have liked, but her own surname was clear enough to make out.

There was nothing else. Terra combed the entire room and that was the only thing from Gekai's youth. She put it away, having invaded the dead's privacy enough. Leaving the room, Terra was startled by Hiei waiting for her outside.

"Find what you're looking for?" he asked coolly. There was no hint of any emotion Terra could make out. It was unnerving. Normally there was at least irritation.

"Not really," she admitted. "Can I ask you," she began, but stopped herself. She was tired and when sleep came to her she was ready to accept it. But Hiei wouldn't let the almost question pass.

"Ask."

Terra sighed and headed towards her room. After making sure they were a good distance away from Kuwabara's room (more worried Yukina would awake from their voices than the oaf) she asked what had been on her mind since Rizu's visit. "What did Genkai tell you that she never told me?"

"Many things."

"That relate to me."

Hiei took a brief pause before answering. "Genkai swore herself to never associate with her teammates after her first run at the Dark Tournament," he told her. When he didn't say anything more she sighed. "That doesn't answer anything, Hiei."

They reached her room. Terra walked in, leaving the door open for Hiei. He followed, shutting it behind him and taking post on her windowsill. In a way, it felt odd to have him there. In another, it felt perfectly normal.

"She took you in because you showed promise," he said, guessing at some of her worries, "and not because of her relation to that man. She didn't even figure it out until you returned, Nakashima being a common last name. It just led more to her Providence reasoning to keep you."

"How did she know?"

"Similar energies."

"How did Ryunosuke use his?"

"She didn't say. Your anomaly is unique."

"Why did she tell you?"

"She didn't tell you because she didn't find it important."

"But why did she tell you," she insisted.

Hiei moved his stare from the trees outside to Terra. Again, Terra found herself unable to read his mask. Not even irritation. "Genkai initially told me of your ancestry to get me interested enough to train you."

Terra thought back to the time Genkai proposed this to Hiei. "But you guys didn't say anything. It was more like a glaring competition. How did you…" she trailed off, looking back at Hiei's eyes. They were threatening. A chill ran down her spine that had nothing to do with the temperature of his energy.

"What about being related to him made me interesting?" Terra asked, hoping Hiei wouldn't leave angry at her.

He looked back out the window. "He was a winner of the Dark Tournament. That takes a lot of power."

"So you're admitting Kuwabara's powerful?" Terra teased, hoping it relieve some of the tension. Hiei glared at her. It hadn't. She looked down at her hands as she twisted her fingers between each other. "You decided to train me because I was related to someone you deemed powerful?"

"Among other reasons."

"Which are?" she prompted curiously.

Hiei looked at her again, his eyes not as sharp as before. "How many stories do you wish to owe me?"

Terra looked away again. Hiei never ceased to make her nervous. "How about I put that question on hold and pay my debt for tonight," she offered with a yawn. "What do you want to know?" Terra climbed onto her bed and tried to keep her eyes open. She watched Hiei as his eyes traveled her figure and then looked away again. It wasn't sexual, as most guys would seem who look over a girl in her bed. However, an emotion was betrayed behind his crimson eyes. It wasn't his empty mask. Still, Terra couldn't tell what it was. Part curiosity, part sadness, almost. Maybe. Hiei's emotions weren't something she was the best at reading when his energy was in check.

"You should sleep. Your body needs it," he told her and stood.

"But what about my debt?" Terra said with a slight smile. A story wasn't the most serious thing she could owe someone, so she could only be semi serious on the matter.

Hiei looked into her eyes for a long minute. Unreadable and strong, Terra was silenced by them. Something told her he was going to save this one. Then he was gone. Terra sighed and went to close the window. Going back to bed, she reminded herself not to ask Hiei for too many stories.

X

"I think that's a great idea."

"Really!" Kuwabara asked excited. He had been telling Terra over lunch his plans to turn the temple back into an open dojo. "Nothing parahuman like Genkai trained, just straight martial arts for interested kids over the summer."

Yukina placed another helping of rice and chicken in front of Terra, who groaned. "Honestly, Yukina, I'm full."

"Please eat it, Terra." Yukina looked at her so sweetly, Terra couldn't say no. She shoveled some more food into her mouth and chewed. "Thank you."

Turning her attention back to Kuwabara's plan, Terra was fully supportive. It really sounded like a great way for the two of them to stay in the temple and bring in some money. Sure, they were sent for some time from Genkai's will, but it was smart to start now in making a business of it.

"I was thinking, if there were one or two really dedicated students, we could take them during the school year or something."

"See how the summer goes first. Maybe do a few summers before taking in a yearlong border. But yeah, sounds good. Get delinquents like yourself off the street for a whole summer," Terra laughed.

Kuwabara pushed her a bit and they continued joking. "I was thinking," he said, suddenly serious. "Would you like to stay here and be a trainer?"

Terra raised her eyebrow skeptically. "I don't know, Kuwabara. I don't really think I'm exactly qualified to teach kids how to fight. I mean, I barely know it myself."

He shook his head vigorously. "You know the stances for three different forms of martial arts."

"Genkai was pretty persistent about me getting things precise before continuing, but that doesn't mean I can teach others."

"Just think about it, would ya? I think it would be a good fit."

Terra got up and cleared her plate. "Yeah, I'll think about it." Though, she didn't think she would accept. She felt like too much of a novice.

X

Terra reentered the dojo, shaking out her limbs to ready for her next training session. Hiei was waiting for her. She stopped stretching and stared, her eyes growing wide.

"What are those?"

Hiei tossed her a pole which, instead of catching, she jumped out of the way and let it fall to the floor. "Did your arms break?" he bitterly asked.

"What are those?" she asked again.

"Naginatas. You're ready to use the actual weapon."

Terra looked down at the pole on the floor. It was about the same length as the ones they trained with, but at one end was a sharp blade. Light reflected off the metal, catching her reflection. She stepped back. "I can't," she said, her eyes fixed on the naginata.

"Why?"

Terra stepped back again. "Can we just, I don't know, take the rest of the day to train my energy?" Even as she was saying it, Terra focused her energy beneath the surface of her skin. "I haven't meditated in a while." While that was true, Hiei had trained her well. She was so used to having it flow with her movements during practice, she didn't need the stillness to focus the energy anymore.

"Pick up the weapon, woman."

"No."

"Why?" His voice carried a harsh tone to which Terra flinched.

"I've told you before, I'm not a fighter. Theory was one thing, but…" She examined the spear before her. "I can't. I can't."

In a movement faster than her eyes could register, Hiei was in front of her, holding both the poles. "Why?"

"I can't," she muttered again. She couldn't think of any other words.

Hiei tried shoving the pole into her hands like he had on past occasions, but she let it drop to the ground with a clatter. "Pick it up," he fumed.

"No."

"Pick. It. Up."

"_No_."

"Are you too weak to even pick up a blade?"

"I don't want to fight people. That weapon is a symbol meaning I plan on harming someone. You don't carry a blade without planning on using it!"

"Then why are you training at all?"

"Because I don't want to be weak!" she pleaded, anger boiling from his tenacity.

"You will always be weak."

He tried shoving his pole into her hand, but Terra refused it as well, knocking it down. Tears threated at the back of her eyes and with a frustrated shriek, she pushed Hiei away. The moment her hands made contact with him, they both gasped in shock. With a silent scream, Hiei fell to the floor, clutching his chest where she touched him. For a moment they stared at each other, neither knowing what to make of what had just happened. Hiei tried to move, but an actual cry of agony escaped him and Terra was snapped out her shock.

"Yukina!" she cried, racing out of the dojo to find the ice apparition. "Yukina!"

She and Kuwabara came quickly to her calls. "What is it?"

"I don't know," Terra said frantically, waving her arms wildly. "I don't know." She headed back to the dojo, the couple at her heels. "I was arguing with Hiei and I got mad and I pushed him and then, oh god, I think I hurt him. I don't know how. I don't know how."

"I'm sure the shrimps okay," Kuwabara said with a light laugh. "He can take anything you can dish out." Still, something in his voice wasn't so confident. Terra looked awfully worried. She wouldn't be that concerned if there wasn't good reason.

When they entered the dojo, Yukina rushed to Hiei's side. He was still on the ground, clutching his chest and panting heavily. It was obvious he was trying to hide the pain.

"What did I do?" Terra muttered. Even Kuwabara seemed stunned into silence.

Yukina made Hiei lay back. Lifting his shirt, what looked like a fresh burn in the shape of her hands were bubbling up on his chest. Yukina placed a cooling hand over him and after a few moments, Hiei relaxed.

"What did I do?"

Soon, the burn marks were gone completely, but Yukina had to work even longer than that to dispel the negative energy that had made its way into him. The ice apparition looked up at Terra and smiled softly. "Do not worry, he is fine," she said, finally taking her hands away.

"But what did I do?"

Hiei sat up and pulled his shirt back down. He didn't look at any of them, his thoughts somewhere else. Yukina looked between him and Terra a few times before explaining. "It seems that when you pushed Hiei, you transferred some of you energy into him. Had you hit a little higher, you could have damaged a chakra nerve and done some serious damage. Human energy can poison a demon's when forced into the system like that."

Terra's legs tremble. Never before had she been the cause of someone else being injured. She wanted to be strong for her own self gain, not to hurt others. This was all so wrong.

"We could use this," Hiei suggested, coming to his feet. "Train you in more hand to hand combat from here on out."

Her eyes snapped to him, appalled. "How can you take this so lightly?" she snapped. She knew Hiei was a demon and that he fought all the time, but it seemed too calm for the situation. He merely looked at her like she was a fool. Terra turned her attention back to her hands. Just touching him had caused that.

"Come on, Terra. It's kinda cool. I mean, I got a sword, but to make every punch burn a demon. Pretty sweet."

Her eyes were wide when she looked up at her friend. "No. No. I'm not- I'm not a fighter," she insisted. Terra rushed out of the dojo and to her room. She needed to be alone.

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

First off, I'd like to thank _**BlightPurged**, **Lady_C1aire**, **19Teardrop94**,_ and a lovely _**anon**_for their reviews of the last chapter.

Second, I got really bored and started writing another YYH story that's terribly cliche but that's the point. I have no idea where I'm going with it, but it's fun, so check it out.

Third, I don't really have one. It's 3:30 am right now, and I'm perfectly awake. The summer has ruined me.


	27. Chapter 27

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**In the Wake of What Follows**

_**Chapter Twenty-Seven**_

After a long soaking (she had needed one to clear her head), Terra found herself in front of Yukina's room. She knocked gently, hoping she was in and that Kuwabara wasn't. Thankfully, this was the case.

"My energy," she began right away. "It's, it's dangerous?"

Yukina smiled and pulled Terra into her room. There were paints all over the place. Terra spotted a canvas and smiled.

"Did you do that?"

Yukina blushed slightly. "Yes. I am quite enjoying the craft. I'm afraid I'm not too good."

"Nonsense," she told her. The painting was quite beautiful. It was of the beach scape. Terra wondered how many times Yukina went to the beach while she was in her training sessions. Probably often.

"Yes, well, if you would sit?" Terra did as she was asked, and Yukina sat just across from her. "I'm afraid the tea's cold."

"That's fine."

The girls were silent for a moment before Yukina smiled again, almost a little sadly. "I understand why you came to me with this."

"You do?"

She nodded. "Hiei is not one you wish to speak with at the moment, and although I love my husband, he is not the best at handling serious situations."

"This is true," Terra said, knowing how Kuwabara would try to make light of the situation or get flustered. She sighed and placed her face into her hands. "Am I really that dangerous?"

"No, Terra, you're perfectly normal?"

"What about that was _normal_?"

Yukina shifted, unsure as to what to say. "Like I said earlier," she began softly, "it's simply the difference between demon and human energy. Do you know about marking?"

Terra shrugged, unsure how that related. "Just that demons do it."

"Although it's rare, some demons mutually mark each other. For most, only one marks the other if the situation arises. For humans, though a demon can mark a human, a human cannot mark the demon, no matter how much control over energy they have. The human energy, when pushed into a demon's system simply harms the demon. Which, unknowingly, is what you did."

"I unknowingly tried to mark Hiei?" she asked, mortified, color draining from her cheeks in a flash. That did not sound like something good.

Yukina laughed a bit and shook her head. "No, I think you were upset and your energy was already in place and it happened out of frustration. Perhaps your energy has never manifested physically because this is how you were meant to use it. _If _you so choose," she added, seeing Terra's reaction.

Meant to harm demons by burning them internally with my energy... It seemed wrong. Despite it being only demons she would be able to harm, it still seemed wrong.

"Do you think, if I'm not angry and I'm aware I'm doing it, I can use my energy to heal?" Terra asked.

"Yes, I believe so."

She looked at the ice apparition with hope that she could turn this around. "Really?"

Yukina nodded. "Come to think of it, even Genkai was able to heal using her spirit energy. She's healed creatures from all three realms, in fact."

"Really?" she asked, taken aback. "Genkai was always very adamant that energy was used for fighting, except those random psychics from when Sensui attacked."

"It took a lot out of her," Yukina admitted. "Healing is very difficult and she wasn't a master at it."

"But why not tell me?"

Yukina smiled sweetly and placed a hand on Terra's. The cool touch sent goose bumps to crawl up her arm. "Because you wanted to be strong, and she wanted to help you there."

"Did she tell you that?" Terra supposed it made sense. Had she given up physical training for psychic training to become a healer that early on, Terra would still be beating herself over the head for being too weak.

"No," Yukina said, taking her hand away. "But I could tell."

Terra stood and headed to the door, thanking Yukina for the talk. "You can tell a lot of things, can't you?"

Yukina's smile turned into to something radiant. "A long time ago, when I first met Kazuma and the others, I was very confused by all their antics and signs of affection. Now I like to think I know them all quite well and I can tell you things about them they probably don't know I've figured out."

Terra had always sensed Yukina knew about her relation to Hiei. She treated him like a brother she adored. She was certain now, the way Yukina spoke, that this was the case.

"And yet it was Kuwabara that falsely noticed a change between Hiei and I," Terra teased.

"Well," said Yukina, putting a finger to her lips, "ever since he mentioned it I've been paying attention more. I would say he was on to something."

"Yeah?" Terra was honestly surprised. She didn't notice any changes in Hiei's behavior.

"Perhaps it's best to wait on it," she smiled.

Terra laughed and made her way out the room. "Thank you, Yukina, for calming my nerves and not making fun of me. It's what I needed. You're a good friend."

The words were out before she could think about them. Yukina was a good friend. And, for the first time since coming to the temple, Terra didn't feel like she was dooming anyone by thinking that.

X

The next day, after eating breakfast (as monitored by Yukina), Terra headed to the dojo, unsure of herself. Hiei was leaning against the door outside, his eyes shut. The moment she spotted him, however, he stood up and looked at her.

"I didn't expect you to show, to be honest," he announced with a dull tone.

Terra took a deep breath and planted her feet. She needed grounding to confront him. "I refuse to pick up the actual weapon."

"There is nothing more I can teach you with just a pole," he countered.

"And I will not let you exploit my new ability."

"Hn."

Hiei began to walk away.

"But surely there is still more you can teach me," she proposed. Hiei looked over his shoulder, a seemingly bored expression in his eyes. 'Like what?' they asked coldly. "I don't have agility one hundredth of yours, or-"

"I am not a fitness coach," he told her, walking away. "You don't need me to run."

"But-," she started to protest, but he was gone.

X

"The view's beautiful. I can see why you come down here so much," Terra said. She and Yukina took a day at the beach while Kuwabara went into town to buy groceries. It was the first really warm day of the year, but the water was still too chilly to swim. It wasn't officially summer. For Yukina, this wouldn't have mattered, but she preferred the sand anyway. "This is just what I needed. A day away from the dojo, but still without anybody around. Except you, of course."

"Of course," she laughed.

Terra looked over the waves. The sun glistened off them in a sparkle that seemed surreal. "Do you think Hiei will forgive me?" she wondered.

"Yes. It may not seem like it, but he does care for you."

Something of a smile tugged at the corner of Terra's lips. "You think so?"

"Like I told you before, I know my friends well."

X

Terra found herself on the roof. She wasn't exactly tired, but if she went to bed she would likely fall asleep. Normally this would be taken full advantage of by Terra, but tonight she wanted to be on the roof.

As she sat there overlooking the forest, she reveled in the early summer warmth. Her mind kept drifting, but again and again it came back to Hiei. Their last encounter left her feeling guilty, like she had let him down. _I just wish he would show up_, she thought, looking to her right. Not all nights, but often enough, when Terra came to the roof, so would Hiei. Even when they didn't talk, it had become a sort of comfort for her.

No one came.

Eventually her eyes became droopy enough that Terra decided to head back inside and sleep. Passing Hiei's room, she reached out and could feel a lingering coolness from his energy. Terra wondered if she should knock and say something. She half expected him to open the door simply because she hadn't moved for some time. She didn't. And he didn't. Terra continued on into her room and slept.

X

Something felt different. All day when Terra had been working with Yukina, something had felt different. The pair was outside and Yukina was explaining the energy flow for healing. They found a wounded sparrow and Terra used it as practice. What Yukina had told her was true, healing energy was a lot more draining that fighting energy. She had to be careful until she built up enough of a resistance as to not let her energy pour out so quickly.

When the sparrow flew away, Yukina giddily hugged Terra. "You did it!" Terra, astonished at her own ability, held onto Yukina, staring at the sparrow in the sky. She tried to stand, but wobbled on her own feet. "Careful," Yukina said, steadying her. "You used a lot of energy."

Together, they made their way back into the temple. When they reached the kitchen, Terra slumped into a chair by the counter. Kuwabara was in there looking uncomfortable. There was definitely something off today.

"Hey, big guy, bring me some grub." Kuwabara laughed, but brought her (and Yukina) a meal nonetheless. When he sat down across from her, still looking awkward, Yukina looked at Terra worriedly. This wasn't like her husband. "So, what's wrong?"

Kuwabara looked up and plastered on a goofy grin. "Me? Oh nothing!"

"So, what's wrong?" Terra repeated.

He sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Nothing, really. Just, I was thinking the shrimp was getting to like it here."

"What do you mean?" she asked, now slightly worried herself. She wasn't sure why such a clenching feeling wrapped her stomach.

Kuwabara looked between Yukina and Terra. "While you guys were outside, he came to me. 'I hate _you_ to be the one I inform,'" Kuwabara said in his best Hiei voice, "'but I'm leaving.' Said he was going to be training for the tournament and then just took off."

Both the girls mouthed "oh" and began eating their meals slowly. In seeing the expression on their faces Kuwabara tried to cheer them up. "Come on, ladies, you still got stud maestro Kuwabara to keep you company."

Terra had to laugh at that. After a bit she looked down at her meal and sighed. "You know, it seems abrupt, but I guess it makes sense. I've been here almost six months, which was Genkai's allotted training time, and I refused to let Hiei teach me with the actual weapon. So, what else did he need to stay for?"

"Terra," Yukina started, but Terra waved her off.

"No, it's fine. It's true. I think," she said, mulling things over for a bit, "I think it might be time for me to leave."

"Ahh, Terra, but what about being a trainer?" Kuwabara whined, only half serious.

"I can't train kids to fight when I'm obviously so opposed to it myself."

"Yeah," he sighed, "I figured."

"What about healing training. You show great potential for it," Yukina offered.

Terra turned to Yukina a shook her head. "Maybe later. I've finished my training. Let me revel in it for a bit before I come back for more."

"Well, then what are you gonna do?" Kuwabara asked seeming very disappointed Terra was leaving.

"I don't know," she told them truthfully. Terra looked over to the calendar Yukina had on the fridge. It had been almost a year since the demon attack that brought her to the temple. "I think I'll go to Australia and visit Jeremy's grave."

"You can swing that?" Kuwabara asked. Fair question, seeing as she hadn't had a job since before the incident, and even then she only worked part time because of school.

"I'm running low on cash," she told them, "but once I have a bond coming to me on my birthday. One opens up every other year for me. My parents really thought through how I was going to get there life insurance and stuff to make sure I was set for life. I think I can manage it, knowing I have more money coming."

Yukina smiled and placed a comforting hand on Terra's. "Well then," she said, "I wish you the best trip."

It took Terra a few days to put everything in order, but pretty soon she was off.

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

First off, don't hate me, the next few chapter are going to be Hiei free, technically. Sorry, weird break things need to happen sometimes in order to further the plot. Just the way the world works.

Secondly, thanks to all my reviewers, _**Sures1109**, **Lady_Alexandria**,_ and a lovely **_anon_**_. _ _  
><em>

Third, I was stuck at my grandmas for the last two days without internet, so I already finished the next chapter. Depending on how many people read this in the next few days depends on how quickly I post the next one. The longest you have to wait is a week. I doubt I'll hold it out that long.

Thanks for reading!


	28. Chapter 28

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**In the Wake of What Follows**

_**Chapter Twenty-Eight**_

"Hey, Kurama. The usual?" Terra asked, already putting down his tray of food and hot tea before he had even sat down.

"You know me so well," he chuckled.

Terra sat down across from. "I'm taking my break," she shouted to the back, and took the cup of water off his tray.

"You mean that's not for me?" he mused.

"So how's everyone?"

Kurama sighed, mulling over his lunch. "Oh, the same. The dojo is doing well. Kuwabara's new students really like him. Though, he does still wish you were there to help and Yukina misses you."

"Yeah, well, I thought it best I re-socialize. It's been over a year since I just dropped out of society. It's been kind of hard, so I should probably stay."

Kurama nodded. "Which is why you got the job, yes, I know. But that does not change their wishes."

"I'll think I'll pop up this weekend to do some training with Yukina. I have to say, those medical books you gave me do help." Terra smiled at him.

"Good to hear."

"And how are Keiko and Yusuke?"

"Tomio is giving them much trouble now that he can walk."

She laughed. "I'll bet. He looks so much so much like his father, I'm sure Tomio inherited his mischievous qualities as well. I should visit them again. I've only been once since coming back from Australia."

Kurama nodded and ate his lunch as Terra talked about her week. It had become a bit of a routine of theirs. Kurama took his Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday lunch breaks at the diner Terra had begun waitressing at and they discussed the goings on of their friends. Since she returned from Australia, Terra had been very warm and friendly to them all, and they accepted her with open arms. Although she still kept her secrets as to what she did while away, only telling them it was a good trip, no one pried. They just liked having her back. She was surprised how close to all of them she had become during her stint at the temple. Yusuke said he liked this Terra much better than the mope he first met. She then felt the need to smack him upside the head. Everyone agreed she was a good addition to the group.

"Naka-san!"

Kurama smirked and Terra rolled her eyes.

"Hi, Koji. Your shift starts soon, right?"

A dark haired college student smiled at her and nodded. He was a pretty attractive boy, but Terra was beginning to find his attentions annoying.

"Oh, and Dr. Minamoto. Nice to see you again." Terra and Kurama observed Koji's slightly strained smile.

"You too, Koji."

Terra turned to her co-worker and gave Koji a small smile. "I'll see you when I get off break."

Koji turned a little crestfallen and headed to the back.

"I think that boy has a crush on you."

Terra leaned over the table and punched Kurama on the arm. "Shut it."

"Merely observing."

"If you're going to bring up crushes, how's Shizuru?"

Kurama shook his head and sipped his tea. "Nothing is going on between us."

"That blush on your cheeks tells me otherwise." Kurama looked up startled, a blush now actually growing on his cheeks. "That's what I thought."

"If you're going to bring up Shizuru, I may have to bring up Hiei."

"What does he have to do with anything?" Terra asked, quirking her eyebrow. Kurama mirrored her face. The two stayed that way until Terra finally rolled her eyes and slouched. "Think what you want. Have you heard anything on him?"

"Yes, actually."

Terra perked up before realizing just how noticeable her reaction was. "Shut up," she said, slouching again. "What news?"

"An old friend told me he's been spotted training in the southern mountains of Demon World. He seems serious about trying to win the tournament this year."

"It's in August, right?"

Kurama nodded. "Only a couple of weeks away now."

They didn't say more on the matter despite the number of questions swimming through Terra's mind. Kurama placed his money on the table and stood.

"I suppose I will see you next week," he said with a smile.

"Sounds good." Terra scooped up the yen and headed to the register. "Got to get back to work."

Kurama nodded politely and headed toward the exit. "Hey," she said, stopping him. "We never did finish our conversation from a couple of weeks ago."

He smiled at her, his fox grin she always wanted to smack off his face. "The park's lovely this time of year. I'll see you round seven?"

Terra agreed and Kurama left the diner.

"You guys are close, huh?" Koji said, wiping the counter down.

Terra shook her head. "Kurama is just a good friend."

Koji smiled a bit but when Terra headed to the new costumers, it faded. Even he could tell she wasn't about to return his feelings. Terra wasn't sure when she realized her attraction towards Hiei. Koji was really cute and he obviously liked her, but Terra couldn't feel anything for him. It was one day at work when Koji was hitting on her that suddenly Hiei's face popped into her head. It was a little saddening and more than surprising that Jeremy's face wasn't her first thought. When had such a change happened, she didn't know.

When Terra admitted her feelings to Kurama during one of their lunches, she was surprised by his reaction.

"I was wondering when you'd figure it out," he commented with a sly smile.

"What?"

Terra was more than shocked that people had noticed her feelings towards Hiei. Apparently Kurama and Kuwabara had been gossiping about it to each other for quite some time.

"When did I start liking Hiei?" Terra asked in disbelief.

The red head shrugged. "About the same time he started liking you."

At those words, Terra dead panned. "What! What? No. There's no way these feelings are even slightly mutual."

"More than slightly, I believe."

Kurama was smirking so devilishly, Terra wondered if the fox was lying. Still, even the idea was more than enough to knock Terra into a stupor. She rested her head on the table and closed her eyes.

"So, are you going to tell me when we started liking each other, seeing how I've been completely oblivious to it?"

"Let me think," Kurama said, pondering a moment. Terra knew full well he didn't have to think so hard to recall the timing, but it amused him to taunt her. "I would say it about back when he first tried talking to you on the roof."

"Oh, so he's told you about those little encounters?" Terra scoffed. "The first time we talked on the roof was the night after he beat me with a stick because Genkai asked him to train me for the day. His energy was freezing. There's no way he liked me."

"No," Kurama agreed, "but that's when it started."

Their conversation was cut short by Terra's boss ending her break. They hadn't brought it up again, but the idea that Hiei actually liked her kept nagging at the back of her mind. She didn't want to come across as a love drunk teenager and refused to give Kurama ammunition in their crush war. (Terra had caught Kurama and Shizuru sharing a desert one afternoon, and he didn't stop hearing about it all the next week.) This led Terra to go two weeks without daring to bring the topic up again. But she had to, she wanted to know.

X

Terra looked over the water from her spot on top of the hill. The sun was just beginning to set and a warm glow lit the sea. Kurama came and sat across from her at the table. He had brought with him a chess set. This wasn't the first time that summer they had met up and played chess. Terra was actually beginning to enjoy the game. Although, she still was never able to come even close to beating Kurama.

"So," Kurama prompted as he set up the pieces.

"So," she responded.

"What do you want to know?" he inquired.

"Your favorite recipe for taco salad. You know what I want to know," she said, grumbling.

"Your move," he said, moving his piece the moment the board was set. Terra moved her pawn and looked expectantly at Kurama. "How about I tell you something for every one of my pieces you knock off the board."

"Like that's fair. I'll learn nothing!" she exclaimed.

Kurama chuckled and moved another piece. "Okay, okay, I surrender. I will tell you all."

"Thank you."

As they played their game of chess, Kurama revealed a lot of things to Terra. First was the biggest reason Hiei never trusted Terra.

Terra froze, her eyes wide, staring at the board but not seeing anything. "Hiei can read _minds_!" Yusuke really had done a shit job of explaining Hiei's abilities when he told her the story so long ago.

Kurama shook his head smiling at her reaction. "Yes, but he can control whether or not he listens in. He also can project his thoughts onto another so they can psychically communicate, but that's not the point." Suddenly the interaction between Hiei and Genkai made sense. They were talking right in front of her, just not with their voices.

Terra clamped a hand over her mouth and desperately looked at Kurama. "What the fuck did he hear in my bat shit of a brain?"

The red head shook his head again, still smiling. "He didn't. At least, not really. When he first met you, you had been through so much emotional damage that you had, unknowingly put up a mental block. Although Hiei could have torn this wall down, it could have left damage, so he came to me first. Extremely considerate of him, actually. I told him my theory on why you had a barrier. It was weak, but Hiei believed only someone hiding something and knew of mind readers would learn to build a wall. I insisted you had done it without knowing."

"Well thanks for the back up," she muttered.

"It was that night on the roof when he first attempted reading your mind. When he met resistance, it made him distrust you more, but as is his nature, it piqued his curiosity about you. Also, some of the things you had said."

"Like what?" Terra didn't wholly remember their first conversation.

Kurama sighed, racking his brain for the conversation he had with Hiei. "I'm afraid I don't remember that much detail," he told her.

"I do remember getting a particularly bad headache after talking with him. Was that because he was trying to read my mind?" Terra shivered at the thought of someone being in her head.

"Possibly, since you were resisting."

That triggered another memory. "God, how many times had he tried to read my mind just waiting for the barrier to be down?" Her headaches were too frequent and before she knew Hiei for them to all be from that. But he had one time snapped at her to stop resisting.

Kurama shrugged, placing his knight. "I do know he has read your mind at least once. He was very surprised."

"When?" she asked, worried.

"He told me that you were very worried about Genkai, and he thought your wall might have been down due to distraction, and it was. And all he read was your genuine worry for Genkai.* I think he began trusting you after that."

"This is so weird," Terra admitted, moving her rook.

"I think, over time, he felt that you and he were similar, which was something I brought up to him a number of times. If you don't state it for Hiei, he's likely to ignore it. For matters like these, at least."

"When did you start suspecting we liked each other?" Terra asked. "It sounds so weird saying that. I can't imagine Hiei liking _anyone_ let alone me. Maybe that demon who died he used to be with."

"Yes, I thought Mukuro was a good match for him. But that only adds to your similarities."

Terra shrugged. "Now answer my question."

Kurama put Terra in check and looked up at her with warm eyes. "I had my suspiscious from the way he had been treating you and speaking of you. But, I knew for certain he had grown attached when he went after you. You were trying to sneak out after Genkai's death, I believe." Terra looked away, slightly ashamed of herself. She couldn't deny it. "Hiei doesn't just stop people like that."

Terra moved her king out of check, knowing Kurama was likely to end it in a couple of turns. "Why do you think he left?" she asked, but immediately retracted it. "Don't answer that. I have a pretty good idea. God, I'm acting like a stupid high schooler asking my friends and the guys friends instead of just manning up and asking the guy."

"Well, he's a bit unreachable at the moment, so I think your actions are perfectly reasonable. Besides, in cases of love-"

"Don't say love, it makes it sound even weirder."

Kurama chuckled. "In matters of _attraction, _it doesn't matter what age you are. I'm over three hundred years old and I have yet to figure it out."

"Tell that to Shizuru. Should I start checking her for marks every time we get together?"

Kurama flung a pawn at Terra who put her hands up to guard her face.

"Okay, okay, I give!" In a fit of one ups man ship, Kurama then placed his queen and declared Check Mark. "And I lose." As she helped Kurama clear the board, Terra came to a conclusion. She looked at the red head and sighed. "So what if he's forever away. I still have a shot at seeing him, right?"

"Terra…"

"I want to come to the tournament. Just as a spectator, obviously, but I want to come."

Solemnly, Kurama nodded. "Very well." Terra stood, leaving Kurama to pack away the chess set. "Before you go," he said, stopping her, "are you going to tell me what happened in Australia?"

Out of everyone, Kurama was the only one to still ask. Terra had given them all an "it was nice. It was a good break" but Kurama saw through her.

"Ask again the next time you seem me."

"Ah, but that's what you always say," Kurama smirked.

"Well, you'll have to keep asking, and maybe one day you'll get a different answer."

Kurama chuckled. "Who was it that said that the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over but excepting different results?"

"Einstein. But you're smarter than him, right?"

"Hey, a story for a story, remember? You owe me for today."

"And you'll get your story. Promise."

Kurama shook his head. "I'll see you next week."

"See you next week."

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

***If you're wondering when in the story this happens, it's Chapter 18**

So, I know some of you were hoping to see what happens in Australia, well, sorry. But, I promise that at some point in the future of this story, it will be told!

I would like to thank all of my lovely reviewers, _**octoberbird**, **XAudra_RoseX**, **Moldy_Strawberry**, **HappyAlways**,_ and a lovely **_anon_**_. _It's great hearing from you all!


	29. Chapter 29

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**In the Wake of What Follows**

_**Chapter Twenty-Nine**_

"Terra!" Kuwabara shouted happily, rushing out of the temple to meet her. She had her pack slung on her shoulder and a sunburn across her face. "You came up last weekend, I wasn't expecting you again." Terra had come up like she had told Kurama, but after another week of work, Terra wanted to train more with Yukina. It wasn't long before the tournament and Terra wanted to be prepared. That, and she liked hanging out with Yukina a lot more than being around Kenji.

"Yeah," Terra said with a shrug, "you guys need a better way to get in contact with the world. Reception is terrible up here. Otherwise I would have called."

The big carrot top lug gave her a hug and ushered her inside. Just like the last Terra came to visit, a mess of boys poked their heads out from various rooms and watched her walk down the hall with Kuwabara. She smiled at some of them, who then darted away back to whatever they were doing. Some of them gave cocky smiles back, but most seemed shy or intimidated by her. She wondered what Kuwabara had been saying about her.

"I just came from visiting Keiko and Yusuke. They send their love. Tomio scraped his knee and I healed it," she said proudly.

Kuwabara gave her a high five. "That's my girl," he grinned.

"And, I'm staying for the whole week."

"A week, huh?" For a few moments he just seemed happy, but then an ecstatic grin took over his features. "Do you wanna be a guest trainer? It's the last week of camp."

Terra was about to protest, but Kuwabara barraged her with a series of _please please please please please _that she couldn't ignore. "Fine! Yes, okay. But I have to have time for my own training. Kuwabara. Kuwabara, are you even listening to me!"

The oaf had darted off down the hall yelling Terra was going to be teaching some classes this week. Suddenly it seemed that every boy in the building had their head out again, looking her over. Terra turned to the nearest one, who began to shrink back inside.

"You, kid." He froze and looked at her with wide eyes. Half fear, half amazement. "What's the guy been saying about me?"

He sputtered for a moment before another kid down the hall came up to answer. "Sensei says you're the toughest girl he knows. And that you trained under a witch and a demon. And that you're the coolest non Yukina girl ever."

Terra quirked an eyebrow at the kid. He seemed to have taken on Kuwabara's ideals and was staring at Terra in wonder. "Hey, Kuwabara," she shouted, keeping her eyes fixed on the boys.

"Yeah?" he called back from wherever in the temple he was.

"Thanks for putting me right after your wife, but don't you think Shizuru will be a little upset?"

Kuwabara came bounding down the corridor. When he turned the corner and saw her, he skidded to a halt. "Don't tell my sister!"

Terra smirked at Kuwabara. She walked past the kids and crossed her arms. "Okay, but tell me this. Am I just one of the dudes and this is a bro crush? Because this kind of affection is unwarranted otherwise and I should get Yukina involved."

"It's a bro crush," Kuwabara said, holding out a fist.

She bumped it with her own fist and laughed. "Same room?" she asked. "Or is one of the brats taking it."

"Nah," he said, "we saved it for you this time."

X

A couple of the boys joined her for her morning run, seemingly taken with her after her first time teaching. While she wasn't in training anymore, Hiei was right, she didn't need him to run. And, Terra didn't want to lose everything she had worked for, so she ran at least five miles a day. Or, she had living back in town. Back at the temple a renewed sense of vigor took over and her morning run now consisted going down the steps, to the beach, down the shore line and back. Before even reaching the beach some of the boys began to drag behind.

"Oh, come on," she teased them. "If you can't even do this, how strong are you, really?"

Terra doubled back before they could catch up on the beach and passed them. In another few moments they were again trailing behind. On the top of the stairs, even Terra was winded. The stairs alone were an impressive feat. She waited for the boys who trickled up the stairs one by one until all seven were collapsed around her in the morning rays.

One of the boys, Daisuke, called Terra inhuman. The idea was ridiculous. "Yes, I suppose all trainers seem inhuman to their pupils," she said after a fit of laughter.

"Kuwabara Sensei seems human," Daisuke said.

Terra shrugged. "Yeah, well, you haven't seen him fight. I'm sure he goes easy on you."

X

"You're not all that great," one boy, Hachi said, crossing his arms and glaring at Terra.

"I never claimed to be," she replied.

She was giving a session on the importance of meditation when Hachi interrupted.

"Then what are you doing teaching? I just wanna fight and you're here telling me to sit."

"If you want to fight," Terra said, "you best learn patience. Meditation helps the senses and the senses helps awareness and awareness helps in battle. It's better than the alternative."

"What's the alternative?" he questioned. All the others students seemed just as curious. There were maybe twenty of them she had to take care of. Kuwabara was taking a break. She was surprised there were so many students this ready to train on top of a mountain.

"I could blindfold you," she told the boy, "stick a pole in your hands and then attack you. That's what my teacher did to me."

"Bullshit."

Terra smirked at the kid. She opened her mouth with a comeback but Kuwabara's voice came out. "You think so?" All the students turned to the door where their sensei was leaning against the frame. "Hey, Terra, why don't you show the kids what you got?"

"Kuwabara, I told you meditation and yoga."

He shrugged. "What's the fun in that? Hey, one of you kids blindfold her."

One of the older boys checked his bandana to make sure it was opaque enough before tying it around Terra's eyes. She could hear Kuwabara shuffling them about until they circled her in the center of the dojo.

"Now what?" one of the kids asked.

"This." Kuwabara tossed the blinded Terra a pole. Needless to say there were a number of gasps and surprised faces when she caught it, her arm outstretched.

"Now what?" This time it was Terra who asked.

The boy's sensei shrugged, giving them all a wicked grin. "Now we chuck stuff at you."

"Kuwabara!"

X

Terra collapsed on the top of the steps after her morning run. After her performance yesterday just about every boy in the temple joined her. It took them a while to reach the top. By the time the last one came panting up the steps, Kuwabara was already waiting to start the first class of the day. A number of the boys groaned, not wanting to move.

"I'm so not doing this again," Hachi mumbled.

"I thought you were a tough kid!" Terra shouted at him. He then proceeded to glare at her and march inside.

"Maybe I'll make them do it every day next year," Kuwabara suggested.

"Do it," she smirked. Terra stretched and rolled her shoulders a few times. "I'm gonna scarf some food and then hang with Yukina."

"Sounds good." The oaf left her to train his students and Terra headed to the kitchen. Yukina was there fixing the boys their lunch for later. She watched as Terra ate, still not fully trusting her to eat healthy. "My room, after you're done eating?" she asked. Terra nodded.

When they reached Yukina's room, the pair practiced healing for a bit. Terra's head shot up, stopping the process and to stare at the door. A few moments later, it creaked open. The boy from the other day who had told Terra what Kuwabara had been saying about her could be seen through the crack. His eyes widened, since Terra had been staring right at him before he even opened the door.

"What are you doing here, Hiro?" Terra asked. "Aren't you supposed to be in a class?"

The boy began blushing furiously. "Water break," he spouted.

Terra stood and opened the door all the way. Hiro backed up, his eyes stuck on Terra. Yukina giggled from her spot in the room. "The boys here seem to be quite taken with you," she said. Hiro's blush burned on his cheeks and he dashed off towards the dojo. Terra turned back to Yukina, rolling her eyes.

"I'm surprised they're not all over you. You're pretty damn hot, Yukina."

The ice apparition waved her off modestly. "No, surely they wouldn't be."

Terra laughed. "Kuwabara probably gushed over you and then threatened them all." Terra gathered their things and headed to the door. "Come on. Let's train on the beach. There are less noisy little boys."

X

"So, how exactly _do _we get to demon world?" Terra asked.

Kuwabara's summer camp had ended. Many of the students were sorry to leave. A couple of them were so tired they didn't care. Only one of them seemed to really resent the place. Terra had been barraged by requests to show up next summer. She wondered how much of that was Kuwabara speaking through them and how much was actually the boys. She had only given them a couple of lessons and a few morning runs after all.

Now, she sat at a café with the whole gang. Minus Hiei, that is. Terra sipped her tea, waiting for a response, looking over her friends. Kuwabara, Yukina, Yusuke, Keiko, Kurama, even Shizuru were all there, although Terra was the only girl gearing for the trip.

"It's quite simple, really. Now that the barrier is down, one simply has to find an entrance. Koenma tries to make sure they're all in rather secluded areas. There's one in the woods not far from here that we'll be taking," Kurama told her.

Keiko glared at Yusuke, a squirming Tomio in her arms. "You better not die on me, Yusuke. I'll never forgive you."

"Promise, promise," he said, leaning back in his chair. "Once you make it up to the semifinals, it's all gonna be the same group as usual, and we aint gonna kill each other."

Keiko still looked worried so Terra put a hand on her shoulder. "If he gets too banged up out there, I'll personally smack him for you."

She smiled. "Thanks, Terra."

Tomio tugged at Keiko's shirt just then and Terra's eyes widened, spotting something. Terra downed the rest of her tea and motioned Keiko outside.

"Where are you two going?" Yusuke asked, narrowing his eyes slightly in mock suspicion.

"Outside," Terra told him, "so Keiko and I can talk badly about all of you. It's what we do." Before anyone could ask anymore, Terra ushered Keiko out and took Tomio from her arms. She dragged Keiko around the corner so none of the others could peek. "Okay, spill," she demanded, an eager grin tugging at her cheeks.

"About what?" Keiko asked, but a blush was already creeping up her neck. The girl knew exactly what Terra was referring to.

"When did he _mark_ you?" Terra whispered excitedly, readjusting Tomio in her arms.

Keiko looked down at her feet and tugged up the collar of her shirt. "Last week." This was huge. Yusuke was able to resist his urge to mark fairly easily since he was only half demon, but Terra was sure it was still a struggle in their relationship. Keiko had explained before that because they didn't know how Yusuke would age and a number of other factors they had decided against it. "I was freaking out over him possibly disappearing on me for three years again, which only happened after the first tournament, but still. It scares me, especially with Tomio, knowing he may be gone for a long time and not being able to contact him."

"And," Terra prompted.

"And with this, should he," Keiko stopped, not wanting to say the word, "she he _die_," she whispered, "I'll be the first to know, because the mark will disappear."

Terra could already picture Keiko checking for that mark every hour once they leave. She was such a worrier, but rightfully so. What they were doing, entering demon world and what not, wasn't without risk.

"It's a comfort, really," Keiko said, letting her fingers trace the mark at the base of her neck. "It's a symbol to know my Yusuke is alive. Especially since I'm-," but Keiko cut off, her eyes wide. Obviously it wasn't something she had meant to share with Terra just yet. But Terra prodded. Keiko leaned in, and speaking in the quietest tone possible, she whispered into Terra's ear. "I'm pregnant again. Yusuke doesn't know yet."

With her free hand, Terra clasped Keiko's shoulder. She put her at an arms distance. With a giddy and stunned expression, Terra gave the bashful Keiko a once over before pulling her into a tight hug, Tomio squishing between them. He began to cry and Keiko took Tomio back to calm him down.

"Congratulations," Terra whispered back, trying her best to not squeak from excitement.

Keiko swatted Terra's arm. "Stop looking at me like that, right now. You'll all too happy about this," she told Terra, not even managing to suppress her own grin. "They'll all know something is up."

Terra and Keiko took a few deep breaths and put on serious faces which cracked only moments later. "It was worth a shot," Terra shrugged.

Entering the café again, Yusuke looked between the girls, with actual suspicion in his eyes this time. "What are you two so happy for?"

"There was a guy outside who tried hitting on Terra. We had a good laugh, telling him we were partners," Keiko lied smoothly.

Terra looked at Keiko, impressed. She winked and they laughed again.

X

After finishing their lunches there was a long goodbye. The girls all told Terra to be careful. Kuwabara promised them he would keep her safe.

The four of them headed off towards the woods and the opening between worlds Kurama told them about. The fox turned to Terra and put a firm hand on her shoulder. "Now, Terra, I know you're strong and can take care of yourself, but you've never been around this many demons. Most aren't as good natured as those you're acquaintance with." Terra sighed. This wasn't the first time he had lectured her. "I want you to remember, keep your energy-"

"Brimming beneath the surface, yes, I know."

"Good, so start doing it. If a demon touches you and you feel threatened, it will be like they've been shocked. It's a great defense and I will feel better knowing you are using it."

Terra took a deep breath and did as she was told. It felt like they were babying her, but she understood the importance of it all. Once her energy was in place, they walked through the hole in the universe leading from one world to the next.

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

I apologize for this chapter, it's a lot of fluff, with a few bits of importance. Anywho... Demon World Tournament and Hiei Reunion coming up! Fyeah!

Thanks to _**Crystal**_**Jaganshi**, **ShadowDmn**, **HappyAlways**, _and _**NoWarningSignsNoAlibi** _for the wonderful reviews. You guys ake me feel so special.

Thanks everyone for reading! Hope you enjoy.


	30. Chapter 30

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**In the Wake of What Follows**

_**Chapter Thirty**_

Stepping through the portal was an experience, and really Terra had no way to describe the feeling. It was a feeling of claustrophobia and agoraphobia all at the same time, but it happened easily and quickly enough that her mind sorted it away in to place she could forget it. Demon world, however, was not something she could ignore.

While Terra had been straining to sense the essence of demons before, the moment she was in demon world a wash of energies overtook her. Terra put a hand to her head and stumbled a bit, feeling dizzy. "Whoa, Terra, you okay?" Kuwabara asked, putting his firm hands on her shoulders, steadying her. "Dizzy," she muttered before gasping for some more air. Kuwabara nodded, saying something how it was just llike the first time he felt Toguro's true strength.

Energies like brimstone and horses and air that was salty from the ocean and the feeling of hot pavement and acrid sting in the nostrils and sandpaper and so many she couldn't put to words or even tried to hit her. It was intoxicating and nauseating all at once and Terra nearly fainted.

"Let's get her to our rooms," Kurama suggested. Terra nodded with a shaky breath. She was barely able to register as her own feet moved through the crowd, Kuwabara's hands never leaving her. By the time they reached the building with view of the giant screen, her head was beginning to clear. Once in the room, she sat down and put her head between her legs, taking deep breaths. Kurama got her a glass of water.

"Is she going to be okay?" Yusuke asked.

Terra looked up, taking a sip of water. "I'm fine," she told him. "There are just a lot of really powerful demons here and I was not prepared to feel all of that." Slowly, the weight of them all began to thin out as she concentrated on Kurama's energy, who was the nearest and most familiar demon energy around. Terra glanced at the red head and gave a weak smile. "Guess this is a good chance to practice separating them out," she shrugged.

Kuwabara turned to Yusuke and told him the time. "Sorry, Terra, we gotta dash. Registration and all," Yusuke said. The carrot top told her to feel better and the two boys left.

"I'm surprised you're not competing," Terra admitted. "I hope it's not because you feel the need to babysit me."

Kurama shook his head, strands of red hair moving gracefully around his face. "No. Although I enjoy fighting, I wish to live my life as a human. I didn't enter the last tournament either."

"But, Kuwabara and Yusuke don't actually want to be ruling demon world, and they're entering."

The fox smiled softly and looked out the window. From their room thousands upon thousands of demons could be seen swarming about preparing for the tournament. "For Kuwabara, it's his last. While Yukina is his wife now, he won't dare risk this once they have a child to care for." Kurama sighed, "As for Yusuke. I'm afraid nothing can turn him away from a fight. It's who he is. Plus, a number of other demons would probably riot if their chance at beating him was taken away."

Terra stood. Kurama watched her for signs of fainting, but the initial dizziness seemed to have passed. She went to the window and looked out over the crowd. The energies were still there and the weight was still heavy, but it wasn't overwhelming as it was before. With a deep breath, she tried to sort them, separate them, but there were just too many.

Turning back to Kurama, there was an apologetic smile on his face. "It appears Hiei has noticed your presence and he's not very happy with me for letting you come here."

Terra rolled her eyes. "Where is he?" she asked.

"With the other contenders. They're going to be slotted for the prelims soon."

Together, Kurama and Terra made their way to the roof. They had seats in the stadium, but Kurama insisted the view was better up there. Plus, the further away Terra was from the mass of demons the better.

It was…interesting watching the fights. She hadn't known what to expect, really. Terra got a few glimpses of the guys from the wedding win their preliminaries, although two of them were unlucky enough to be put against each other. Poor Rinku didn't stand a chance against Jin. Terra was glad to see the wind master in higher spirits than the time he visited the temple. All of the demons in Yusuke's group didn't bother showing up, which Kurama had to laugh about. "It seems the weaker ones are getting smarter." Terra was disappointed though in Hiei's preliminaries. It apparently went by so quickly it didn't get any air time. Although, she had to be impressed by his speed.

Before the day was out, Kuwabara and Yusuke were back and they were eating dinner. It seemed all too casual for a tournament to determine ruler of an entire world, but Terra wasn't one to protest.

"You were great out there, Yusuke. Your moves were amazing. I don't know how you're gonna top that," she teased.

Yusuke smirked, tearing off meat from a (hopefully) chicken wing. "Just wait until you see me fight. I'll knock your socks off."

"What about me, Terra, how cool was I?" Kuwabara had come out of his prelims largely unharmed, but there was a nasty looking bruise forming under his chin.

"Meh, you were okay," she said, grinning.

"Hey, when's Hiei gonna show up? It's not a party without someone sulking in the corner," Yusuke jeered.

"Yeah, where is the shrimp? We talked to him earlier today. Would have sworn he would show up."

Terra looked to Kurama, who just shrugged. "Hiei probably wants to avoid distractions," Kurama said. _He probably wants to avoid me_, Terra thought bitterly.

X

While the view on the roof was good, there was something about being in a crowd that made the tournament exciting. Terra wasn't normally one for sports and definitely not one for fighting, but it was kind of exciting with everyone's energies rushing at her. And they were excited, no matter what they felt like. Plus, the few demons that looked her over like fresh meat quickly turned tail when they saw who Terra was standing next to. Despite not competing in a long time, Kurama was still a master fighter. They weren't going to mess with him.

The two of them watched while Yusuke duked it out with a demon Terra didn't know. The announcer, a perky little girl with dog ears, stated that on platform three the fight between Hiei and another demon was about to begin. Terra's breath caught, seeing Hiei for the first time in three months, even if it was just on a screen.

He looked angry. Staring at his image, she somehow managed to find his energy despite the distance. She supposed it was because she was so familiar with it. A dark chill ran down her spine and Terra began to shiver. Kurama looked at her worried. She shook her head. "I'm fine, but Hiei isn't. I can feel him, and he's furious."

Kurama nodded knowingly, looking back up at the screen. "That demon, I believe, is the one that overtook Mukuro's clan."

"He's the one who killed Mukuro?" Terra asked, knowing she was right. _No wonder Hiei's so upset_.

The fight was longer than Terra had expected. Yusuke's finished at some point and Hiei got all the screen time. This other demon was good. Strong. Terra could feel his energy too, and it weighed on her like a deep drum. In the end, though, Hiei won. The demon's blood splattered as he slit his throat.

"Revenge is not a pretty thing," Kurama said. Terra had looked away the moment before it happened. "I'm sure another reason Hiei is angry is because he didn't want to display that side of him to you."

Terra doubted Kurama's words, but said nothing on the matter. Hiei had always made it know he was a killer. Seeing it in person wouldn't make a difference. Yet somehow it was more sickening than she had realized.

X

"Hey, Kuwabara," Terra said to her resting friend. "Feeling better?"

The carrot top rolled his shoulder and winced. "Yeah, mostly. Chu's punches aren't as bad as Yusuke's though. So I'm fine."

"I healed up the worst of them," she smiled, proud of herself. "But I can't do too much at once. I could probably heal up the rest of them this afternoon."

"Nah, they're just minor scrapes and bruises left, save your energy," he told her.

Terra left Kuwabara as he got dressed to join Kurama on the roof. Yesterday some demons had made a grab for her. Their hands got singed, but Kurama insisted they stay on the roof. It had been three days and she still hadn't seen Hiei in person. He and Yusuke were still in the running. The semi finials had just started with Yusuke against Shura, and as strong as Yusuke was, he was getting beaten. It was intimidating seeing her joker of a friend that powerful. It was more intimidating seeing him lose.

Hiei's fight with Natsume was starting soon. He already wasn't in good shape. His fight against Yomi left him weak. Terra hoped he would be okay.

"What are you going to do if Hiei wins?" Kurama asked me.

Terra's eyes widened a bit. She hadn't thought about it. "I don't know," she admitted. She didn't. The idea of Hiei staying in demon world for three years or more, her never getting the chance to see him, it made her almost wish he would just hurry up and lose a fight.

_When did I get so attached_? Terra was angry at herself now. Sure, when she fell for a guy, she fell hard, but she and Hiei never had anything more than a few nights of divulging their pasts. It was a mutual dump of all the things they needed to get off their backs. It wasn't even romantic. Still, when Hiei's face came up on the screen, she couldn't ignore the fact that these feelings were real. Watching Hiei's fight, she realized that all she wanted was to continue talking with him. All she wanted was a chance.

"HIEI!" Terra's voice rang from the rooftop. Her eyes were wide in fear. They were moving so fast on screen she almost didn't see it as it happened. Somehow, Natsume had moved quick enough to get a hold of Hiei and twist his sword into his own stomach. He fell back, eyes wide in shock. Natsume stood over him, panting and watching to make sure he didn't get up again. Hiei fell unconscious and the winner was announced, but Terra was already heading to the hospital wing. She had been there when Kuwabara lost his match and after one of Yusuke's nasty ones so Terra knew where to go.

She arrived before the stretcher did with Hiei out cold on it. Her heart sped, seeing the blood soaking into his clothes. His name slipped out again, just under her breath. She let the nurses hold her back as they wrapped him up, but the wound went right through and they were all so tired from healing other contenders. Terra could see their powers waning as they tried to heal him. Still unconscious, Hiei coughed up some blood and Terra pushed past the nurses.

"I can do this," she whispered to herself. "I can do this."

Terra brought her hand up to his stomach. For a moment, she faltered. The last time she touched him she had hurt him. But this time was different. She knew what she was doing. Summoning her energy to her hands, she focused on making it calm and soothing. With a deep breath, she closed her eyes and placed her palms against his burning stomach. The wound was wrapped, but she could feel with her energy where the opening was. She let her energy pour through his veins and muscles, careful not to enter his chakra stream. Slowly the fibers of his stomach began to come together, and while the wound was not yet healed, it was stable.

Fatigued from the strain of healing, Terra nearly collapsed. The demon nurses that had been exhausted themselves watched her warily, unsure what to do. Over the intercoms, Yusuke's defeat was announced. "Go wait for him," Terra told the nurses. "He's probably pretty beat up." They nodded and left. With Hiei on his way to full recovery, there wasn't much left for them to do here.

Sitting on the edge of Hiei's bed, she rested and stared at the wounded demon. _There you go again,_ she thought_, always making me care._ Hiei's nose twitched as he sniffed the air a bit. Despite how ferocious he was in the arena, this soft, sleeping version of her former sensei was kind of cute. He sniffed the air again and Terra was reminded of one her conversations with Kurama. He had explained that Hiei was a fire demon because he was the male born of an ice apparition, but Kurama believed Hiei's father was actually an animal type. While his hearing and sense of smell wasn't as sharp as Kurama's, it was stronger than the average non animal type demon.

Hiei sniffed the air again, a soft groan escaping his lips. He seemed to be waking, but Terra was too tired to really react. "Terra?" he mumbled.

"Yeah?"

His eyes fluttered to half lidded, but it didn't seem as if he were seeing her. Hiei reached his hand up towards her, which Terra instinctively grabbed for. The moment her hand touched his fiery skin, he sat up. Faster than her mind could register, his hand held the base of her head and Hiei's lips crashed onto hers in a hungry kiss.

Shocked from the sudden contact, Terra gasped, but quickly her own desire took over, moving her lips with his. She was surprised how slow they were. Rough and filled with longing, it wasn't a frenzy of movement between them. A metallic taste of his blood hit her tongue bringing her mind back to reality. Terra opened her eyes and pulled away. His red eyes still half covered with his thick lashes, Hiei seemed to be glaring at her, but he didn't protest.

With shaking hands, Terra pushed Hiei back down onto his bed. She knew it only worked because he let her. "You shouldn't be sitting up just yet. The stab in your stomach isn't fully patched." She looked away, a sudden rush of blood racing up her cheeks as she felt Hiei's gaze never leaving her face.

The door to Hiei's room opened and Terra's head shot up. Kurama entered, a curious expression gracing his features after taking in the appearance of his friends. "Just checking to see how Hiei was fairing."

Said fire demon sat up, ignoring Terra's protests to stay resting. "I'm fine," he growled at the two of them, swinging his legs off of the bed and standing up.

"Hiei, you should stay resting," Terra insisted, her fatigue clear across her voice. "I wasn't able to heal you all the way. Your wound is still-"

"Hn," he scoffed, grabbing his sword from the side table. "You shouldn't have healed me at all." His words carried a harsh sting, but her energy was so low she couldn't even argue as he left the room.

"I just don't understand," she whispered to the closed door.

Kurama smiled softly and came to sit next to Terra on the bed. "I would think it obvious," Kurama said. Terra just gave him a slight glare. "He didn't want you to see him like that."

"Wounded?"

"Yes. It likely hurt his pride that you had to heal him, but no," Kurama explained. "He didn't want you to see him fight. He didn't want you to see him as a killer."

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

First off, chapter 30. This is the longest story I have ever written. I'm so glad people are still interested! More importantly, I'm glad _I'm _still interested. I love writing this story.

Secondly, thanks everyone who reviewed! _**NoWarningSignsNoAlibi**, **HappyAlways**, **ShadowDmn**, **Mizz_Ri**,_ and a lovely _**anon**._ Always means a lot.

Thirdly, woo hoo kissing! It took thirty chapters, but hey!

Thanks everyone for reading and supporting this story. It makes me so happy!


	31. Chapter 31

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**In the Wake of What Follows**

_**Chapter Thirty-One**_

Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, and Terra stood next to each other in the stands, watching as Souketsu turned his crown over to Natsume. The new Queen of Demon World announced she would carry on the now tradition of tournament to determine a new ruler in another three years' time.

And then it was time to go home. After exiting the portal into the human world, they were welcomed by a slew of familiar faces. Terra stood back and watched as Yusuke greeted Keiko and their son, Kuwabara greeted Yukina, and Kurama went over to Shizuru and took away her cigarette, snuffing it out on the ground with his shoe.

"I wish you would stop doing that," she told him dryly, a hint of a smile on her lips.

"I wish you would stop smoking," he responded with one of his calculated doctor smiles, but there was something jovial behind his eyes.

Everyone was pairing off and Terra was only left with the lingering memory of a burning kiss. Terra sighed before the girls came over to welcome her back as well.

They all took dinner together before parting their separate ways. They had only been gone a week, but it felt like a lifetime with everything they had to share. Keiko especially, who revealed at dinner she was pregnant again. Yusuke nearly fell out of his chair. Despite her interest in Hiei, Terra found herself in the land of what if, wondering what her life might be like if Jeremy were still alive. She wouldn't even know any of these people, the only people she felt any type of kinship to and she wouldn't even know who they were. But she would be married and not dealing with so much grief. Fate was twisted.

"So," Kurama said after parting ways with the rest of the group. Kurama and Terra lived relatively close to each other. "What are you going to do now?"

Going to demon world to talk with Hiei had been a bust. Well, she couldn't call him kissing her a bust, but nothing got said that she wanted to say.

"You know, I never seem to have answers for half the questions you ask me," she told him. He chuckled, agreeing with her. "I don't know. Waitressing is boring. Learning healing is cool, but unless you guys go on tons of supernatural adventures, I don't see the point. I'm not going to be able to heal normal people this way, unless I learn acupuncture or something. There's just nothing I want to do with my life. After giving up on acting, I always thought things would just fall into place after college, but after college things just got more screwed up."

Terra and Kurama continued to walk down the streets as night began to fall. "You could always go back to acting," Kurama suggested.

She frowned. She hadn't really thought about it. There was a thrill that came with acting Terra missed, but she also knew the amount of emotional availability she needed to do it properly. Terra didn't want to be that vulnerable anymore. She didn't think she could without completely falling apart. She shook her head. "No, I really couldn't."

Her second passion after acting had been dance, but she was only at an amateur level, at best. She could use it to supplement her acting, but not as the main deal. And singing she only did to supplement acting. She wasn't terrible, but she didn't enjoy it. There was nothing left for her in the world of entertainment.

X

Terra stepped out of her bathroom, rubbing a towel through her hair. After leaving Genkai's she had gone back to dying her hair with henna. Taking the towel away, it was freshly stained a bright red in splotches over other patches of the same color that had faded over time. Why waste more than one towel? She tossed it into her laundry bin and headed to her kitchen. In crossing the living area, she jumped.

She wasn't expecting someone to be sitting on her windowsill, eight stories up.

Settling a hand on her racing heart, Terra took a deep breath and focused her eyes on the fire apparition. They stared at each other for a moment in silence, his eyes casually roving her body. Terra bit the inside of her lip to concentrate on keeping her heart calm. When Terra stayed silent, Hiei hopped off the windowsill and leaned against the wall.

"Your hair smells different," he commented.

"I just dyed it."

"I don't like it."

"The smell or the color?" Terra asked with a humored roll of her eyes.

He didn't respond. Instead, Hiei pushed off the wall and began to walk towards her. Terra watched every step as if it were in slow motion. Knowing Hiei's true speed, it practically was. She couldn't help it. By the time he reached her, her heart was pounding in her chest.

She examined his stoic face as he examined hers. Slowly, cautiously, Hiei lifted his arm. Heat radiated off his palm against her cheek as his fingers played with a strand of her hair. It reached past her chin now, a far transformation from the crop she had started training with. For a fleeting moment, Terra wondered what he seemed so fascinated by as his eyes took in everything about her appearance. She shook that thought as her own sight was captivated by his red eyes and every emotion they leaked while watching her. His eyes, which she had once been so afraid of, looked almost sad.

The air grew heavy between them as if she were drowning on the tension. Terra's breathing was slow, taking in as much of him with each inhale as possible. He stood so close. Too close. Not close enough. Her breath hitched as the full heat of his hand settled against her cheek. His thumb stroked her skin gently, leaving a trail of warmth like running fingers over a candle. A clench in her abdomen set her off. She couldn't take it anymore.

Without hesitation, Terra grabbed onto his neck and hair and pressed her lips firmly to his. Thrilling fire spread through her body as Hiei wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. Their lips moved against each other's steadily growing in pace. His tongue slipped between her lips and Terra felt her whole body ignite. She wanted more. She wanted fire. She wanted him.

Hiei pushed her away. His eyes were searching her, seemingly confused with his own actions. Terra, too, was confused by his actions. "What is it?" she asked.

"I shouldn't have come," he stated coldly.

"Hiei!"

But he was already gone.

X

It was late, past midnight in fact, when Kurama opened the door to let Terra inside. She had called first, but it was still surprising. She hadn't explained anything on the phone. From her face, Kurama could tell right away that something was wrong. She was holding back tears and biting her cheek to keep her lips from quivering.

"What happened?" he asked intensely. His eyes were serious and worried. Terra wasn't like this.

She pushed past him and took a seat in his living room. He watched, waiting for an answer, as Terra took a few shaky breaths. "Hiei visited," she said at last. Kurama sighed and took a seat across form her. This couldn't be good. "I know I'm rusty when it comes to guys, but I really don't know how to handle him." Terra pressed her palms into her eyes and let out a frustrated grunt. "I would have gone to Keiko were it not for the fact she doesn't get enough sleep as it is with a baby and you know Hiei a lot better. He's not exactly a normal guy."

"This is true," Kurama said. "So I ask again, what happened?" His question was softer this time knowing Terra wasn't in danger.

"We kissed," she said flatly, her eyes still covered, "and he ran away. It's like, he's interested, but doesn't want to act on it." She groaned and leaned back, throwing her head to fix her eyes on the ceiling. A tear escaped her cheek which she quickly rubbed away furiously. "I hate boys!"

Kurama did his best to suppress a chuckle. She was all shaken up because of a boy. It seemed so unlike her. "You really like him, don't you?"

Terra quirked an eyebrow at her friend. Of course that's how he'd respond. But truly, Kurama was surprised. Hiei and Terra were so unaware of their own feelings that when the spark finally ignited, they didn't know how to handle it. Their passion was strong and confused. It was so unlike his own romance. With him and Shizuru, it was a dance of coy smiles and coded conversation. Both Terra and Hiei really needed things to be laid out plainly. Neither were likely to believe feelings otherwise.

He could only conclude such a view in accordance with attraction must be frustrating.

"I don't know what to do," Terra sighed. "I don't know what to do with anything. With Hiei, with work, anything. My life is a mess. I only have a few more weeks left on my sublease and I haven't even tried finding a new place. You guys are the only friends I have, but I feel like there's nothing for me to do here. I don't want to be waiting around for Hiei to freaking just talk to me so we can sort things out." Terra grew progressively more panicked and her voice sped up. Tears of frustration began spilling over, staining her cheeks no matter how hard she tried wiping them away. "I just don't know what to do."

Kurama stood and headed for the kitchen. "I'll make tea," he told her. "Why don't you rest."

The two of them stayed up until two talking over tea. Terra was curled up on his couch, hugging a pillow to herself. They talked of many things. All of her insecurities about Hiei. How very lost she was when it came to her future. They came up with a couple of ideas, but even still it was as if there was nothing meant for her. "I had been so invested in so many things," she had told him, "and now I have none of them. It's like everything I could fill the holes with just aren't good enough. Nothing's as compelling as the feelings I once had." She told him about the kids at Kuwabara's camp. He told her about his patients. She told him about Australia.

"I visited Jeremy's mom."

Kurama sipped his tea, waiting for her to continue.

"I had meant only for a quick visit, but she took me in for three days. We shared a lot of memories. I- I gave back his journal. I would read parts of it when I couldn't sleep. It captured so much of him, I felt she should have it. I was just being selfish keeping it."

"I wouldn't call that selfish," Kurama said. "The two of you were a couple for a long time, you were going to be his fiancé, his wife."

"Yes, but I wasn't. Not actually. So I gave back his journal. I think, at the time, I knew I liked Hiei, even if I hadn't realized it yet. And, keeping his journal held me back. Jeremy will always be Trisha's son. Those memories will always be cherished with an unwavering love. And I will always love Jeremy, but the type of love will change. His memory deserves better."

"And that's why you still wear the ring around your neck?" he countered.

Terra shot him a tired glare. "I tried to give it back to. I didn't really want to, but I didn't know if it was a family heirloom or something. It wasn't, and Trisha insisted I keep it. And I'm glad she did because I wasn't ready to part with it. But having a trinket isn't the same as reading his journal. His writing, his words, his personality captured on paper was overwhelming. This," she whispered, rubbing the ring between her thumb and forefinger, "is just a quiet reminder that it happened."

After a bit more conversation, Kurama cleared their tea cups and grabbed her a blanket. "Unfortunately, I don't have a guest room. Sleep."

Terra took the blanket silently and curled up into his couch. As the lights went out, Terra closed her eyes.

"Kurama?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks."

"Of course."

X

"So, America," Keiko sighed, hugging her light jacket closer. The late summer air was beginning to get chilly.

"Yeah, America," Terra sighed. After a moment of silence, the two girls hugged tightly. Terra could feel Keiko's stomach beginning to swell. "I'll miss you. And Tomio. And this little bundle you've got growing."

Keiko laughed into Terra's neck. "I'll miss you too."

They parted, and Terra turned her attention to Yukina. They too hugged, Terra spilling all of her thanks for everything the ice apparition had done. Yukina nearly cried, but Terra would have none of that. "I'm not going to be gone forever. Promise."

After letting go of Yukina, Kuwabara picked Terra up in a huge bear hug. "Now you better damn well keep in contact, Nakashima!"

"Yes!" she shrieked, laughing. "Now put me down!"

When he did, Yusuke clasped a hand on her shoulder. "Just don't be stupid while you're away. We all know you don't know how to take care of yourself," he smirked.

"Oh, shut up."

"Are you ready?" Kurama asked, coming up to her side.

Terra shrugged. "As I'll ever be."

_Hiei would kill me for running away_, she thought, heading into the airport. _But he ran away first. _

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

Thanks to all my reviewers! _**NoWarningSignsNoAlibi**, **Lady_C1aire**, **middlekertz**, **lovewithanopenhand**, **Mr_steve_jr**, **Carmine****_****Waltz**,_ and a lovely _**anon**. __  
><em>

More Hiei fun in the next chapter!


	32. Chapter 32

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**In the Wake of What Follows**

_**Chapter Thirty-Two**_

Terra swung her leg around, almost hitting her target. She was surrounded. A thick hand grabbed her arm. Twisting her body with a low swing of her leg, Terra was able to knock the guy down. She spotted her opening and jumped, pushing her foot into the shoulder of one of the guys. With a flip, she landed over them. But there was nowhere to run, they were on the roof and the door down was blocked.

A bang sounded and Terra's left shoulder jerked forward. She howled in pain. Her eyes darted around. Looking behind her, the guys were getting back up, one with a gun that had just fired. With a daring breath, Terra ran towards the edge of the building. She knew she wouldn't make it, but she ran anyway. Another gunshot sounded, but nothing hit as she took a leap off the roof.

Pressing her lips together, Terra did her best not to scream. Wind rushed past her, sending her hair flying as she fell. The few seconds she was in the air felt like eternity. And then she crashed. Straight into a giant fluffy mattress.

"And, cut!"

A few hands helped Terra off the truly giant safety mat. The director came over and threw an arm around her. "It's hard finding stunt girls like you. That was brilliant." He laughed and clamped Terra's shoulder, his hand coming away with fake blood. "Wipe!" he called and an intern came up to clear his hand. "Okay! Touch her up and we'll run the fall again at a closer angle."

"Yes sir," Terra said, giving a fake salute and smiling.

After a few more runs, the director called it for the day. Terra changed back into her own clothes and headed out.

"Hey, wait up!"

Terra looked behind her and saw the guy she had repeatedly pressed her heal into before doing a flip for so many takes.

"Hey," he smiled at her. "Terra, right. You're pretty sick."

She rolled her eyes but grinned at the guy. "Thanks. I probably bruised you, didn't I?"

"Just a little," he laughed. "Name's Eric, by the way."

Terra looked over the guy. He was pretty attractive. A sly grin crossed her features as she looked up to him. "Eric."

X

Eric had fallen asleep. She reached over to her nightstand and checked her phone. It was just past midnight. For a moment she contemplated whether or not she wanted him here in the morning. The decision was made the moment she felt a familiar energy nearing. Happy for this little app, Terra set her phone for a fake call in a couple minutes. Terra crawled out of bed and pulled open her drawers. Finding a clean pair of underwear, she slipped them on, followed by a baggy tee. Eric grumbled from the bed and sat up.

"Getting dressed?" he asked, tired.

"Not a fan of sleeping nude," she answered.

He smirked at her. "That just makes it harder if we want to go again."

"Really? I always thought taking off the clothes was the fun part," she joked.

Just then her phone went off. Eric grabbed it and checked the id. "Aunt Millie?"

Terra scrunched her face. "She wouldn't call unless it was important, especially this late," Terra said, knowing full well there was no Aunt Millie. It wasn't even a real number. She used that in her contacts to store her social security number without people knowing what it was. It also made a good cover when she needed an excuse to leave. "Toss it here." He did.

Pressing the answer button her phone went to the main screen, but she put it up to her ear. "Hey, what's up?" "No, you didn't wake me." "No, it's fine." "Okay, calm down." "Breathe. You need to breathe otherwise I can't understand you." "Millie." "Yeah?" "Yeah!" "Oh, god." "Yeah, no, that's…" "No, that's fine. That's fine." "No, you wouldn't be imposing. At all." "No, Millie, I insist." "Yeah, okay." "Do you need me to come get you?" "Okay. Okay." "I'll see you in a bit."

Terra pretended to hang up and then scrambled for a pair of pants. "I'm sorry, Eric." Terra grabbed his clothes from the floor and tossed them to him. "She apparently just got into a fight with her boyfriend and split. She has nowhere else to go on such short notice."

He slouched out of bed and pulled on his pants. "No, that's fine. It's legit." Terra smirked inwardly. Just because she quit acting doesn't mean she stopped being good at it. She got him to the door and he halted. "So, I'll see you at call on Tuesday?"

"Tuesday."

Eric leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. He winked at her and headed out. After closing the door, Terra let out a breath she had been holding for some time. Finally, he was out of here.

"Okay, Hiei," she said, turning to her window. "You can come out now."

Terra kept her jaw clenched and crossed her arms. She wasn't going to show him weakness. Hiei flitted into the window. He had his usual glare but there was something darker seething beneath his eyes.

"Who was he?" he asked. His voice was more gravely than usual.

"How did you find me?" she asked, furrowing her brow. Terra hadn't told the gang back in Japan her address. He gave her a look that she could easily read as being called a fool and then tapped his forehead. "Right. Magic eye."

"Who was he?" he asked again. Terra squirmed under his gaze. There were butterflies in her stomach from the way he looked at her.

"I'm an adult, Hiei," she said firmly. "I have needs. Ones you run away from."

A deep growl was emitted from Hiei's throat and Terra did her best to not look shaken.

"Oh, calm down. He was a one night stand, nothing more." He continued to stare, obviously still angry. "What are you doing here, Hiei?"

In a flash he was in front of her and Terra gasped from the sudden nearness. Cautiously yet swiftly Hiei reached up, placing his hands on the sides of her face and planting his lips on top of hers. Despite her resolve to not let her hormones get the better of her so she may actually get to _talk_ to Hiei, Terra found herself playing into his kiss. Before she could get even slightly get as much as she wants he smirked and held her at an arm's length. She looked into his red eyes and saw he was still angry despite the upturn of his lips.

His lips hardened into a line as he ran a hand through her hair. She wanted to say something, but she was frozen. He opened his mouth to speak then closed it again, letting out a heavy sigh that brushed her face like a flame. "I don't like… not being the last one you kissed," he breathed finally, taking his time to pick out the words.

"Then kiss me more often."

Hiei took a step back and she felt almost cold without his immense heat burning against her skin.

"You can't keep running away from this, Hiei," Terra huffed, pressing her back against the door. "You can't be angry at me for finding comfort in someone else when your kisses are few and far between. We haven't established anything between us. There's just _something_ and you won't give us a chance to figure it out." Tears were beginning to prick at the corner of her eyes. She didn't like that he could do this to her.

"I'm sorry."

Terra snapped her head up, her mouth agape. He looked at her in all sincerity. Did Hiei ever apologize? That didn't seem right. Definitely not normal. But then he started to back away, and Terra knew what came next.

"I won't wait for you forever, Hiei. I can't wait forever."

"I know," he said softly.

She wanted to tell him she couldn't wait forever because she couldn't live forever. That she was only human. But those words caught in her throat. She was only human. And he was a demon. And that's why he always looked at her with those sad eyes.

"Will you kiss me again before you go run away?" she asked.

His body noticeably tensed. Her request had caught him off guard. His shoulders twitched as if he were holding himself back. _Let go_, she pleaded. _Kiss me_. His eyes told her that he wanted to, but he wasn't going to. _Don't_, she thought, and then he was gone, l_eave._

X

Terra sat at her desk with her computer up. Kurama's brilliant red hair and green eyes graced her screen. Everyone was over at Yusuke's for Christmas and they were each taking their turn skyping with her. Hiei wasn't there, but that wasn't surprising.

"So, how jealous are you that I'm in the sun while you're freezing your ass?" she smirked.

"I'm perfectly comfortable in the cold," he told her. "Not nearly as jealous as Kuwabara or Keiko. They seem to be the most envious."

"Yeah, Keiko had me explaining every little detail of L.A. for this past hour," she laughed.

Kurama smiled, but his eyes became serious. "Really, though, how are you? We've hardly gotten enough information to make us feel you're fine."

"I'm fine! What's there not to be fine about?" she protested. "I'm working, and not as a waitress."

"But is that what you want to be doing?" he asked.

Terra sighed. "No."

"Have you figured out _what_ you want to be doing yet?"

Terra looked down at her hands sheepishly. "Not exactly."

Kurama narrowed his eyes at her, an almost smile on his face. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know what I want to do with my life career wise, but I have enough money coming to me from my parents' life insurance and what I'm making off these two movies I really don't need to work."

"And?" he prompted.

"Don't laugh, okay."

"I would never."

Terra eyed her friend via her computer screen. "Yes you would." He merely kept his polite doctor smile waiting for her to continue. "Ever since Hiei _visited_," she started, rolling her eyes, "I've been thinking a lot about what I want. From him."

"Yes?"

"Just because he likes me doesn't mean he's willing to be with me."

Kurama looked at his friend for a few moments before frowning. "But you want to be with him."

"I want to be with him," she whispered.

Kurama was about to respond when the door to the room he was in opened. "Okay, mister doctor man! My turn!" Kuwabara yelled, pushing his fellow red head out of the camera's view.

Terra laughed, watching as Kuwabara attempted to tussle with the ever calm Kurama.

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

HI! Okay, so this chapter was a little bit shorter, but that's okay, hopefully.

Also, WOW. This is the most reviews for one chapter I've gotten so far. I don't know if it's because of the Hiei kissing or what, but thank you! Thank you **_NoWarningSignsNoAlibi_**_, **Mr_steve_jr**, **WeKnowOurWingsAreFlawedBVB**, **Crystal_Jaganshi**, **XAudra_RoseX**, **ShadowDmn**, **PandaBee**, **middlekertz**, **Mizz_Ri**, **HappyAlways**, **sessys_girl_forever**, **Takara_Rose_Oizumi**,_ and a lovely _**anon**. _

Also, I love you! Thank you for reading and liking and favoriting and alerting, etc.


	33. Chapter 33

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**In The Wake of What Follows**

**_Chapter Thirty-Three_  
><strong>

Terra stretched groggily as she got off the plane. Eleven hours was a long flight. With her backpack slung over her shoulders, she made her way to baggage claim. She wasn't expecting anyone. Terra had told them she would just grab a taxi to the motel she was planning on bunking at until she could find an apartment. However, another part of her knew they weren't going to let her slip by that easily.

She was happy to see Kurama's silky red hair amongst the crowd of awaiting families. He smiled and walked over. With a lazy grin, she threw her arms around him and sighed. It was odd. Terra had never had a brother, or any sibling. But there was something about Kurama that was different from any other male friend she had before that was in no way romantic or sexual. Kuwabara and Yusuke were just bros, but Kurama had somehow become her brother. Returning to Japan and him felt for the first time in years like she was returning to a home.

"I'm surprised Kuwabara didn't come. He's always been in love with me," she smirked.

"Yes, well, the others thought that has much too loud a mouth and that I am much more sly in the matter of surprises," he told her. Kurama held Terra at an arm's length and looked her over. She seemed just as strong as when she left. He was glad to see she hadn't lost any more weight but in fact probably gained a few pounds. He always felt she looked starved before. Her eating habits weren't exactly the best when she had been mourning.

"Are you guys throwing me a party?" she scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"Whatever gave the impression?" he said, giving her a slight smile.

"Please. They should have just sent Kuwabara," Terra laughed.

Kurama shook his head. "Yes, well, I have a different surprise waiting for you, which Kuwabara may have also spilled. Besides, I figured you would know simply by my presence that you weren't going to a motel."

Terra's eyes widened playfully. "Ooh, another surprise. What'd you get me?"

They continued on with their banter until Kurama spotted her bag. After grabbing it, they headed to the parking lot and Terra scrambled into the passenger seat of his car. "I hope you guys aren't expecting too much of me at this party," she told him as he started the car. "I'm wicked jet lagged."

"No promises on what the others expect," he told her as she tried to get comfortable. Terra curled her legs up and rested her head against the window. "Truly, though, it's good to see you again."

Terra smiled at the fox and stared out as the lights from other cars passed by. "I never missed America. But I missed Japan. I'm glad I came back." A thought crossed her mind and her face furrowed.

"What is it?" he asked.

"What do you think?" she huffed.

"Hiei?" She sighed and readjusted her position in the car seat. "Did he ever visit again?"

Terra shook her head. "Though, he didn't leave right away. I could feel his energy following me around for months."

"I remember you complaining about that, yes."

"I just don't understand him," she sighed. She scrunched her nose a bit and sighed. "How'd he get to L.A. anyway? I can't imagine Hiei getting on a plane."

Kurama gave a dry laugh at the idea. No, Hiei would never board a plane. "He probably stowed away on a boat, truthfully. Either that, or traveled the distance in the demon world and then reappeared in the human one."

"That's one way to travel," she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. However, the fox could tell she was trying not to laugh. Even Hiei on a boat seemed slightly ridiculous. Kurama knew his visit had bothered her considerably. Hiei hadn't told her what his intentions were being there in the first place. He just kissed her and fled, and apparently hovered.

Driving through the city at night was cool to watch. Terra always liked city lights. She had lived in New York, Boston, L.A. and Tokyo. Yep. She loved the city lights. They rushed past her in a disco lullaby through the dark. It was nice. Slowly they got further away from the city and Terra knew where they were heading.

"I just got back and you're gonna make me climb the steps of doom?"

Kurama chuckled. "They aren't that bad. And I'm carrying your pack."

"You guys are making me stay at the temple?" she asked, surprised.

"It's better than a motel," he told her firmly. "So, yes."

She grinned at his caring, all of their caring. It was nice to have friends.

After parking and making the heavy trek up the mountain, Terra found herself thrust into a party held in her honor. It was still too cold to hold the party outside, but everyone was cheerily waiting her arrival in the large tea room while Yusuke darted in and out from the grill. Kuwabara, of course, was the first to make an individual greeting after the chorus of _welcome back_ from the gang. He scooped Terra up and hugged her tightly.

From the first day Kuwabara met Terra he had wanted to be her friend. It wasn't anywhere near as powerful and passionate as his connection to Yukina, but her energy called out to him. A swarm of sadness had masked her personality, but Terra's beaming good nature shinned through to Kuwabara's senses. Shizuru had had a similar reaction. He wouldn't admit it, but Kuwabara was a little jealous over Terra's relationship with Kurama. But, he supposed it made sense, though that would take more explaining than Kuwabara was really capable of. His insight rarely worked its way to words.

As he set Terra back to the ground, Kuwabara was glad to see her outward appearance matching her inner light without that shroud of sadness tainting her energy. He had watched her progress of recovery. And now he saw her recovered, truly.

He couldn't have hoped for a better version of Terra to appear.

Everyone was asking her questions, swarming her and laughing as she tried greeting them all. Yukina, too, gave Terra a big hug. Although hers didn't sweep Terra off her feet. Shizuru hung back, giving Terra a sly smile and wave before flicking her gaze to the redhead that had entered as well. Keiko tried her best to hug Terra. Her eyes marveled at the sight of her swollen belly.

"You're gigantic!" Terra laughed, putting a hand on Keiko's stomach.

"Yes, well I'm due next month," Keiko fondly said, smiling down at her stomach. "Tomio was bigger, if I remember correctly."

The now two year old was there as well, tottering about now that he could balance on two legs. He had grown so big. _He's not a baby anymore_, she thought while watching the kid teeter and almost fall.

A number of the wedding guests were also there, which surprised Terra. She hadn't exactly known the group of demons. Still, it was nice to see their faces. Jin especially. After his dreary visit after Genkai's death, it was nice to see him back to his old self. She had hardly known the guy, but still. It was nice.

Yusuke reentered the tea room, carrying a plate of hot off the grill grub. Shoving it into Rinku's hands, he lunged at Terra, near tackling her to the ground.

"Wow, you guys sure got affectionate," she laughed.

"Yeah, well, I figured if I was nice you would baby sit Tomio more, now that you're back," he joked, pushing her a bit.

Terra narrowed her eyes and pushed him back. "Is that all I am to you, Yusuke? Someone to watch your brat so you can have a social life?"

He shrugged, "Well, yeah."

She punched his arm and he gave her a loving side hug. "Okay everyone, the lady of the hour is here, and so is the grub, so let's rock this joint!"

Terra pushed Yusuke away, laughing. She was glad for the food. Airports always made her feel funny, and then being in the air for hours on end didn't help much, so she often didn't eat much when traveling. Now she was starved. However, her stomach would have to wait. Kurama gently placed his hand in the small of her back to get her attention. Terra still flinched a bit from his touch, tensing ever the slightest, but they both knew now it wasn't an adverse reaction towards the fox. Her energy picked up on his often and when he touched her it gave her the slightest of an adrenaline kick. Kurama's energy did feel like running endlessly after all.

"Yeah?" she asked, turning her head to him. Kurama had his ever patient doctor smile on his lips and a twinkle of something mischievous in his eyes. Terra narrowed her gaze at him in suspicion. "Okay, what's this surprise?"

The red head leaned in so he could whisper without having all the other demons with super sensitive hearing eavesdrop. "The roof's lovely this time of year, is it not?"

Terra's heart sped and snapped her eyes to the fox. _He's here?_ She thought wildly, searching Kurama to see if he was telling the truth. Terra frantically went over the energies nearby. She could feel glee and wind and the cloudy taste of being tipsy and an ice that felt more like a nor'easter than Hiei's chill and another ice that was distinctly Yukina and.. she grazed over everyone at the party and extended her reach and there it was. The lukewarm muddle of Hiei's passive emotions sat idly on the roof where the pair spent many nights sitting in silence.

Kurama's smile turned supportive and he placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I _persuaded _him to come," he told her. She had to smirk. Persuasion was something he was good at, but Terra wondered how much of it was a physical threat. "He's promised not to leave until you've said your peace. I can't say he'll respond to anything, but at least you can have your say."

For a few moments Terra rested her head on his shoulder and just breathed, preparing herself for facing Hiei. "Thanks, Kurama."

"Of course."

After convincing Yusuke and Kuwabara that she would honestly be right back, Terra pulled her coat back on and headed outside. Without looking for him, Terra made the familiar climb up the statue, swinging herself near effortlessly now onto the roof. Hiei was there. His red eyes like rubies in the moonlight were fixed on the horizon. He didn't even look her way.

"Hey," she said. But he didn't move or say anything. Not even a noncommittal grunt he would usually make. The fire demon looked tense, uncomfortable, but more than anything he looked unsure. Terra made her way over and sat next to him. She reveled in the warmth his body cast her, but tried not to let it show. The situation was awkward enough as it is. "So," she started after a few seconds, "I think by now it's pretty obvious we like each other." He remained silent. "I don't know how you see me. If I'm just some measly crush or if I'm someone you can see yourself with in a real relationship or if I'm just someone you are lusting for. I don't really know myself how I feel for you. It could be any of those. But we can't know unless we give it a chance. And the only thing that's clear to me is that you're not willing to do that." She sighed, matching his gaze and staring out over the tree line. "And you won't give it a chance because I'm human."

"If you know this already than why do I need to be here?" he asked, his voice tense.

She looked at the demon, who was still refusing to move his gaze, and frowned. "Why'd you come see me in America?" she asked, sounding tired of the situation. She was done questioning herself and just needed an answer. "You came and kissed me and left and hovered and I don't understand what you were doing there at all," she prompted when he didn't make to respond.

Hiei shifted, and she took this at least as a sign she was getting to him. "I was," he started, but trailed off. "You weren't with the others." Hiei looked away so she couldn't see his expression at all. "If anything had…"

"You were worried," she surmised, a faint smile tugging her lips up. It faded quick enough.

"I didn't mean to make my presence known."

"Then why did you?" she scoffed.

Hiei snapped his eyes to meet hers. She quickly shut up, her breath taken by the sheer intensity from his glare. His red eyes were hard and cold and… _hurt_, her mind whispered. Terra looked away, her cheeks burning in a sense of shame. _Because I slept with someone. He was jealous and angry and,_ she sighed, knowing the truth of how he viewed it_, betrayed_.

"Why didn't you just come to me in the beginning?" Terra asked softly. She brought her knees up and buried her face into the crook they made. "I would have been happy to see you."

He flinched at the word 'happy' as if it were some type of fire that could burn him. As they continued to sit in silence, Terra began to grow angry. Why did he have to be so frustrating! "I wish you would take your own advice and stop fucking running away," she snapped and scrambled to her feet. "So you have feelings, don't hold them back! So, I'm a human. It shouldn't fucking matter." Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she continued, Hiei's red eyes now locked on her. "Instead of coming to me, instead of being happy and living in the now, you chose to torture yourself and to torture me by staying away and watching from afar and making the possibility of us seem impossible when there's really nothing standing in our way," she told him firmly.

Hiei stood and stalked forward. Terra stood her ground and kept her eyes set on him. Much like the last time she saw the demon, he carefully, cautiously reached up and played with a strand of her hair. It was even longer now, just barely grazing her shoulders. "Even now," he said quietly, although not quite a whisper, "you test my control."

"Then lose control. Let go."

He dropped his hand, Terra immediately missing its warmth. "You don't understand," he told her.

"Then help me understand. Talk to me. Explain things," she pleaded.

Hiei shook his head, the faint light of stars and moon making the blue in his hair radiant. He walked away from her and stood on the edge of the roof, looking out again.

Terra's was near ready to cry, overwhelmed by the emotions he was able to pull out of her. But she held the tears at bay. With as much control of her voice as possible, she asked him one last question. "If I weren't human, would you be with me?"

Hiei took a deep breath, his eyes closing. He looked content for a moment and breathed again. When he opened his eyes, he looked at her with a softer expression. "Possibly."

She wanted to scream at him. Tell him how stupid he was being. Terra wanted to walk over to him and slap him clear across the cheek. And she wanted to kiss him madly. Yet she did none of these things. Instead, she turned and headed towards her climbing spot.

"Fine, then. If you want to stay, you're welcome. If not," she paused and glanced at him, a build of passion burning in her chest. "Just go."

And he was gone.

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

Oh, to the reviewers who once told me the couldn't wait for the rocky road Hiei and Terra would hit once they realized their feelings. You poor things had no idea what I had and still have in store for you. I would apologize, but you know you feed off this stuff, even if you hate me for it.

Thanks to all my reviewers. _**Middlekertz**, **HappyAlways**, **Mizz_Ri**, **PandaBee**, **crossyourteez**, **AnimeLoverGirl1324**, **lovewithanopenfist**, **kungfupandabear**, **lazymary**, ,_ and _**Your_Guardian_Angel_In_The_Sky**. _

Special thanks to the _**FYI** _anon that told me that there are people going around and flagging stories all over the site. I hope that doesn't happen to me, but I hope you're satisfied to know that I have all my stories saved as files so if it gets taken down for whatever reason I can always repost it.

Also, special thanks to _**lazymary**_who apparently awarded me best Post-Series YYH award. Do I get a medal? A trophy? I'd prefer a crown of some sorts, but I can settle. =P

But really though, thanks, all of you. I've been getting so much love recently, it's great. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy!


	34. Chapter 34

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**In the Wake of What Follows**

_**Chapter Thirty-Four**_

"How'd it go?" Kurama asked once Terra joined the party.

She shrugged and grabbed a plate of food, shoveling as much meat and vegetables in her mouth at one time as possible. After swallowing her large first bite she looked up and to the side as if thinking over something. "Am I imagining things, or did Hiei get taller?"

Kurama smiled. "No, I believe he did grow a bit," he told her before putting on a serious face. "How did it go?"

"He's probably just pissy 'cause I'm still taller than him," she mused before popping another takoyaki in her mouth.

Kurama gave her a matching falsely contemplative look. "Is that what you spent so long talking about? The weather, eating habits, how tiring your flight was? I'm glad I went through all that trouble of getting him here."

"Har har," she said flatly, giving Kurama a pointed look. She looked around and back at him, scrunching her face. "Where's the beer?"

"It was that bad, huh?" he winced, giving her an apologetic look.

She looked at him which Kurama could clearly read as _you have no idea_.

Terra turned to the crowd of demons. "Hey, I know I was all dark and mysterious the last time you saw me," she called to Chu and Jin and the others, "but who wants to see me drunk?" Despite the turmoil Kurama had seen in her eyes, her voice sounded cheery enough. It was a façade, but it was holding her together. Shizuru and Keiko both gave Kurama a worried look, remembering the last time Terra drank alcohol. He merely sighed and shook his head.

"I thought you said you don't drink," Rinku said, narrowing his eyes in mock suspicion.

"I do tonight, kid," she smirked, Chu handing her a bottle.

"Kid! I'm older than you are," he complained.

"Oh, shut up," she said, taking a swig of the Sapporo. Immediately after drinking, Terra scrunched her nose and opened her mouth trying to air the taste off her tongue.

Yusuke laughed from across the room. "That face will _never_ get old," he cheered.

As she chatted with the other guests (and gulping down large amounts of beer every time she brought the drink to her lips), Kuwabara made his way over to Kurama.

"She looks fine," he said, "but…"

The fox merely nodded, knowing exactly what Kuwabara picked up on.

"Dude, I have no idea what they said, but I could feel them the entire time. It was intense."

"Intense enough to cause her to drink," Kurama said, shaking his head. He hoped she'd keep within her limits this time.

"I have to say though," Kuwabara said, shrugging awkwardly and taking his own swig of beer. "We're all worried about Terra, but Hiei, man. He's beating himself up. I can tell you that much."

X

The evening, luckily, didn't end with Terra plastered and crying or anywhere near that. She was drunkingly sitting on the floor, nursing her last beer. Her head slumped onto Yusuke's shoulder. He was passed out next to her and had been for about fifteen minutes. Rinku was curled up with his head on her lap and Terra stroked his hair absentmindedly as if the boy were a pet. He didn't seem to mind.

Everything was dying down. No more music played. No one was even standing. The only conversations going were in drunken whispers. Shizuru and Terra were the only two girls left, the rest having gone to bed a long time ago. Terra looked over to the tall brunette who mirrored her position on the opposite wall, resting her head on the shoulder of their favorite kitsune. It was cute. Kurama was the only one of the bunch who seemed to be sober, but even the tell tale signs of exhaustion were on his eyes.

It wasn't so dark anymore outside. Night still shrouded the sky, but it wasn't as dark. Terra figured it to be almost five. She was used to watching the end of winter sunrises from the roof. She knew when the light grew well.

It was morning, and only now was Terra able to fall asleep. _I'm never going to have a normal sleeping pattern_, she thought idly before drifting off.

X

Terra was out to lunch with the boys. The girls had kidnapped her the day before. Terra found everyone hilarious wanting to steal her away after her return to Japan. Yusuke was tossing french-fries at Terra who did her best to catch them in her mouth. Terra could catch Kurama and Kuwabara muttering to each other out of the corner of her eye.

"Okay," she said, fending off Yusuke's latest assault of fries. "What are you two talking about?"

The red heads gave her apologetic smiles. "Just, uh," Kuwabara started, rubbing the back of his neck, "you know. Wondering what you and Hiei had talked about."

Terra narrowed her eyes at them slightly before crossing her arms. She was a little miffed about them.

Kuwabara gave a nervous chuckle. "Well, I could feel your emotions going crazy during the whole thing. His too."

This peaked her interest, although she tried her best not to show it. All she wanted to know now was what Hiei was feeling at that time. She knew it would probably just stab a knife in her heart, no matter what it was, but sometimes when you like someone this much you almost cherish that pain. Terrible, but true.

Eventually she sighed, giving in to their nags. "It's because I'm human," she near snapped at them.

"What?" Yusuke asked, bunching his eyebrows in confusion.

"He doesn't want to be with me because I'm human," she said again, kicking herself at the thought. "And it's stupid."

"Yeah it is," Kuwabara snorted.

"Jesus, look at the lot of us. None of us are with our own kind!" Yusuke exclaimed.

"While this is true," Kurama interjected, "Yusuke, you were born human and I am in a human body. As for Kuwabara, Yukina is not one to worry about such things as looks."

"That's for sure!" Yusuke jeered.

"Hey!" Kuwbara pushed him. Before they could make it into a larger fighting match over lunch, Kurama spoke up again.

"I meant as he grows old and Yukina stays young," he corrected. "Which I'm sure is a concern for Hiei. Yukina is able to live in the moment and accept love. Hiei cannot accept such concept easily. And if he did choose you," Kurama said, looking over at Terra, "he would want to be with you for _his _whole life. Not _your_ whole life."

Terra bit the inside of her lip, knowing he was right.

"Too bad the Dark Tournament's not still around," Kuwabara grumbled with some fries in his mouth. "Coulda wished for some long life or become a demon or something from winning that."

Yusuke knocked Kuwabara in the back of the head, causing the lug to choke a bit. "You idiot," he yelled. "Do I need to remind you of everything we did to stop that stupid tournament!"

"I was just sayin!" Kuwabara crossed his arms and turned away in a huff.

Kurama smiled politely at Terra, spotting the wheels turning in her head. "The Dark Tournament truly was an evil venue. They blackmailed all of us into joining in the first place."

She shrugged, having heard the story before. Terra heard Kurama's underline warning. Don't go searching. Still, she couldn't help but wonder. "Who was it that granted these wishes after a team won?"

Yusuke looked at her dumbstruck. "You're not seriously thinking about this, are you!"

Terra laughed at his expression and smirked, rolling her eyes. "No. I would _never _go so far for someone I'm not certain about. That's worse than if I got his name tattooed or something." Terra scrunched her nose, thinking. "Although…"

"You're not gonna get a tattoo, are you?" Kuwbara questioned, warily.

Terra waved her hand in front of her face in dismissal. "It's not that. It's just.." Terra rubbed the spot on her pelvis where her second tattoo sat on in her skin. "I got my second tattoo before ever even coming to Japan, and yet it just constantly reminds me of him."

"Weird," Yusuke said, grabbing his drink. "What's it of?"

"A dragon."

Yusuke did a spit take. Kuwabara fell off his chair. Even Kurama seemed very surprised.

"I mean," Terra said, eyeing them oddly, "I know it's a bit cheesy, but it didn't warrant that reaction."

"Well, you see," Kurama said, struggling to recompose himself. "Hiei has this one technique…"

X

Least to say, Terra was near mortified over what she was told. She keeps thinking she knows these guys and then she learns yet another thing Yusuke glossed over the first time he had talked to her. This one was a wild twist of serendipity.

Still, despite that embarrassing moment, she got her information. Sort of. The boys explained that all the runners of the tournament were killed, and they got their wish granted by Koenma. They didn't know who fulfilled the former winner's wishes. She knew the spirit prince could change her, but also knew he wasn't going to. He wasn't going to without a really good reason.

Terra promised Kurama, once away from the other two, that she wasn't going to pursue this. However, she wasn't entirely telling the truth. Okay, well, she wasn't telling the truth at all. Terra had done a lot of research about the dark tournament already. After learning about her great grandfather, Terra had gone through the histories to figure out exactly who Nakashima Ryunosuke was.

There wasn't much about him before the time frame when Genkai first fought in the Dark Tournament. Then, suddenly, he came into millions and started this huge company. It wasn't hard to figure out what his wish was. His company diminished by the time Terra's father was an adult, but they were still of good wealth when she was growing up.

Still, with some further digging Terra was able to find out surprisingly a lot about the Dark Tournament. The origins, the winners, the sponsors, but nothing about the wish granters. The Toguro brothers had wished to become high class demons, and that's what they became. So it was possible. She just didn't know how. Now with the seed planted, Terra couldn't just let it go. She wanted to know _how _it was possible. If it were _still_ possible.

Somehow, though, the more she thought about it, and the more she wanted to know, the less sure she felt about anything.

Once she was back at the temple, the search for an apartment still on going, Terra collapsed onto her futon. It had been a long day. And, as she drifted off to sleep (which, as usual, took a while) she kept imagining what Hiei's 'dragon of the darkness flame' looked like.

X

Terra was having a nightmare. She knew she was asleep, she knew she was dreaming. She always knew. But that didn't make nightmares any less frightening. Since visiting Trisha, Terra had finally stopped having nightmares about Jeremy and Conner being ripped to shreds by some yellowed eyed beasts she couldn't quite see all the while listening to his voice over and over pleading for help. Sometimes her nightmares would just be her and Jeremy being in love and then he'd look at her with sad eyes and ask her why she didn't stop them and then disappear. On rare occasions she'd have the nightmare that had previously haunted her. The one of the car crash. The one with her parents. Most every night she had stayed at the temple, these images had chased her in her dreams. They got less and less frequent as that spring grew warmer, and when Terra went to Australia, it was like making peace.

But that didn't stop her nightmares. They weren't as often as before, but she still struggled going to sleep. Mostly because it pained her too much to face this particular dream.

Everything around her was dark. Not like a room with no lights or being outside at night, but like a void. She was standing on nothing in a place void of light. And there was Jeremy. He stood in her mind like he always did. His hair was spiked slightly from sweat and running his hands through it too often. There was a golden tinge to his skin from all his time spent in the sun. He wore a grey tee and if her mind wandered to his chest and bothered to create it, it would have the Ramones design. That was a vague fact she knew but didn't really see. He wore a pair of khaki shorts and beat up flip flops and he would smile at her.

Terra stood there in the void and watched him smile, a tear or two escaping her eyes. The sticky wet drop rolled down her cheek. She couldn't be bothered to wipe it away. And Jeremy smiled. Kindly. Sweetly. Lovingly. Slowly, Jeremy walked over to her and incased his arms around her and Terra could feel his warmth and every muscle in his body she had known so well. She could smell the sun on his skin, in his clothes, mixed with his raw pheromones. And it was the worst nightmare.

_I love you_, he whispered.

_I know_, she'd whisper back.

_It's okay_, he told her.

_But it's not_, she wept.

Jeremy's embrace tightened before he let go. Terra's body shook, not wanting him to leave.

_It's okay,_ he repeated.

Terra woke up with a sob. Her heart felt heavy in her chest and tears spilled over. She hadn't had that dream in months.

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

Sorry for the wait. It wasn't too terribly long, but longer than normal. I just moved into my first ever apartment and it took a while and I'm still not unpacked all the way and the cable guy never showed up so I don't have internet yet and bleh!

Thanks to all of my reviewers. **_ShadowDmn_****, ****_Crystal_Jaganshi_**_, **Mistressnmoon**, **Takara_Rose_Oizumi**, **kunfupandabear**, **Mr_steve_jr****, ****middlekertz**,_ and _**Mizz_Ri**_

You're all pretty damn amazing, if I do say so myself.

Thanks everyone for reading and such! Hope you enjoy.


	35. Chapter 35

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**In the Wake of What Follows**

_**Chapter Thirty-Five**_

Keiko and Yukina were over to see Terra's new apartment for themselves. But it was getting late and they had to say goodbye. "Yusuke's helpless on his own, after all. I'm just thankful Tomio is old enough to eat Ramen or else he'd starve if I weren't there," Keiko laughed.

Yukina and Terra helped the obscenely pregnant woman stand. In a split second Keiko's face went from smiling to shocked to in terrible pain and it took only a second for the other two girls to know what happened. "Shit," Terra squeaked. With wide eyes she turned to the ice maiden. "Bring her to the car. I'm gonna call the hospital."

Terra grabbed her phone and her keys and was talking to the receptionist as Keiko made her way into the back seat. Yukina got in next to her, keeping a cooling hand on the pregnant woman's forehead. Terra turned on the engine and sped off. After hanging up with the hospital Terra frantically dialed Yusuke's number.

_"Terra?"_ his voice crackled through the cell. _"Is Keiko still with you? We're out of milk."_

"Yeah," Terra laughed nervously. "She's with me. And we're heading to the hospital."

_"What!" _he screeched into the phone. _"Why? What happened!"_

Terra almost rolled her eyes, but the situation had her too frantic to react that way. "Her water broke, you idiot," she snapped.

"YUSUKE! GET YOUR ASS TO THE HOSPITAL!" she screamed.

_"Fuck," _he squeaked before hanging up.

Terra immediately called Kurama knowing he would be calm enough to inform the rest of the group unlike Yusuke who had probably lost his head by now.

X

Terra had been around babies before. Lots of people she knew had babies. But this was Terra's first time seeing a new born. Yuzuki was tiny and scrunched up and asleep in her mother's arms and something overwhelming came over her and Terra just wanted to cry. Kurama, knowingly, asked if she were okay and all Terra could do in response was say "Baby," and held back tears.

It was during the whole waiting that Terra really thought about children. A part of her always wanted to be a mom. Another could never truly imagine herself with kids. She liked seeing families, but she wasn't terribly sure how much she wanted one of her own.

It was a few days later she found herself having lunch with Kuwabara and driving at her own insecurities through his life.

"So," she started, sipping her tea. "You're gonna be a dad soon."

Kuwabara got this goofy grin on his face that was serene and deep at the same time. He looked really mature, compared to his usual larger than life behavior. "Yeah. I mean, she's not. Not yet. But she told me about. And yeah."

Terra smiled. Yusuke's kids were human. Because of the type of demon he is, they aren't going to be demons unless they get super strong and die. But Kuwabara's children… "You're gonna have demon kids," she said. "And that's completely literal."

He laughed, nodding his head into his drink.

Terra sighed and she was sure the lug caught the sad look in her eye. "How do you deal with it?" she asked him. "How do you deal knowing that she's going to live so much longer than you and never age as you become this decrepit thing."

Kuwabara shrugged and Terra just wanted to smack him. "In a way, it's comforting," he told her. And to that, Terra didn't know how to respond. "I know it's selfish of me, but I'm pretty much guaranteed I never have to live a day of my life without her. I would die if she did." He held up his hands almost in defense as to the words on the tip of Terra's tongue. "And, yes, I don't want her to be sad when I'm gone. And I don't want her to fall in love with someone else. And yes, it hurts knowing that she may and that she has all this life that I won't be a part of. But, at the same time, she'll have our children. And they'll be ours. And my memory won't fade from this world as long as they're alive."

Terra furrowed her brow. "Who knew you could be so deep," she scoffed, trying to shake off how weird it was to hear Kuwabara of all people talking sense. "So, you're not worried about aging?"

He shook his head. "Yusuke's right. She doesn't care about looks."

"Well you're still a handsome man, so don't let Yusuke get you down," she teased.

But still, something inside hurt. She wasn't like Kuwabara. She only wanted kids if it was with the right person and they wanted kids. And Terra thought that was never going to happen. But if she did find someone, the only thing Terra had ever been certain about was the growing old together bit. And with Hiei that wasn't possible. At least not the way things were now.

And Terra's not so stupid as to go and get herself turned into a demon not knowing if Hiei would even take her that way. Even still, the whole idea seemed kind of messed up to go changing herself for someone, even if it was just at a cellular level. But at the same time, diving into her research was the only thing keeping her sane.

Finally she got a break. Terra had been on one lead idea for a while now, but she finally figured out where to find him. This is probably why his energy had given her that swampy feel. Terra took another step and her foot sank into the marsh. Thankful she was wearing rain boots, Terra continued on her way. He was out here, she was sure. She could sense it already. And then, he was there. Her breath caught, being unaware of his speed. "Rizu."

"Nakashima." His voice was deep and gravely and, unlike last time, sober. "What a pleasant surprise."

She looked up to the large demon. His hair was still matted and covering the most of his face, but she could see his teeth and his dog like features that tapered into scales rimming his face the closer she looked.

"What are you doing here," he sneered. "How'd you find me?"

Terra shrugged. "Your trail isn't that hard to find."

He cocked his head to the side and backed up a few paces. She gotten the sense that he had approved of her somehow.

"What do you want," he grumbled as he walked deeper in the swamp. She followed him, unsure as to what to ask first.

"When you fought," she said, "in the Dark Tournament…" Terra trailed off still unsure of herself. This sober Rizu was a lot more intimidating than the drunk she had met before. His energy was powerful. She had felt stronger, but being alone with it was like something caught in her throat.

"You wanna know about your grand poppy?" he asked with an amused grin that set her on edge. "Because I can tell you all about him."

"I already know about him. I came to ask about the Toguro brothers."

This stopped Rizu in his tracks, a heavy splash of swamp water from his last step hitting her. "I have nothing to say about those bastards."

Terra tried her best to keep a stoic face as he looked her over. "Then about you. What was your wish when you won?"

He laughed then and a chill went down her spine. Kuwabara had deemed this guy okay, but he had been drunk and mourning. Everybody seems more human, kinder, nicer, when they're mourning because when they're mourning they're vulnerable. But this Rizu was hard and dark and as cold blooded as the crocodile he was. She wondered how Kuwabara was gonna take learning his people skills were off.

"What I wished for was the greedy wish of a teenage boy despite my decades already of being a demon." He turned to Terra with a toothy smile. His dead eyes not focusing on anything made his look eerier than imaginable. "Now I'm sure you don't really care to know about my pleasures," Rizu smirked.

She tried her best not to shudder. "I'm more interested in who it was that granted that wish."

Rizu turned around again and continued walking. "Mine didn't exactly need any magic mumbo jumbo, if that's what you're getting at. Mine, like your idiot grand poppy, was easy enough."

"Which is why I was most concerned about how the Toguro's became demons," she said finally, sternly. "Do you know how their wish was granted?"

Rizu moved aside some swamp mess and she could see what could only be considered his house behind it. He made a humming noise and Terra caught the sight of his tail swishing beneath his giant coat. She followed him past his 'house' and towards a cave with his promise of "I know where you can start looking, at least."

"Where?" she asked. Rizu merely continued on into the cave. Her voice bounced off the inside and sent her question back at her. "Rizu!"

His tail disappeared into the darkness of the cave and with an angry grunt she reluctantly followed. It was dark and the ground was rocky. As far as crocodiles went, she didn't think any lived in caves, but Wani were blind so what did it matter.

"Now," Rizu's slippery voice came from deeper inside the cave, "what makes you think any of this information is coming for free?"

"I-," but she had to stop. She hadn't really thought about that, and suddenly Terra felt like an idiot. "I can give you money."

Rizu's dark laugh echoed throughout the cave. There was a splash of water from his tail hitting the damp ground. Terra's jaw clenched. "What use do I have of such pathetic bartering tools?"

"Tell me what you know and I'll never come back."

"Sweetheart," he cooed in a way that made Terra feel sick to her stomach. "You're never coming back because you're never leaving here."

Terra gasped, snapping her eyes shut. For the first time, she was truly thankful for all of Hiei's training. Rizu had brought her into this cave because he was blind and would have the advantage. Rizu's energy flared like the feeling of sinking into the mud and sharp teeth. Her breathing was fast but she tried her best to hear over it, to hear his clawed feet scrape against the stony ground and his coat and tail drag through the half inch of bog water. To hear his own heavy breathing right behind her.

Terra swung her arm to block his swing. It worked, but his claws dug deep into her flesh. Terra bit her lip to keep from screaming and backed away. "Did you know," Rizu said, his voice reverberating against the cave walls to surround her, "that Nakashima and I never really got along?" Terra winced, more from her ignorance that the pain throbbing in her arm. This couldn't be good. "He was just another dang human in that trap to get me to compete in that fucking tournament." Terra raced for the mouth of the cave, her boots stumbling over the rocks formations. She heard his tail but wasn't able to react in time, fear taking over her rational thought she was able to keep in training. Rizu's tail swatted her down onto her back, wrapping around her leg, and dragging her further back into the cave.

Terra swung her arms around, latching onto the first tall rock she could reach. She struggled to hang on but it gave her enough time to _think _for once and Terra was summoning her energy to her left leg. It was almost satisfying to hear the demon screech in pain and let her go.

"The only reason I let you live before was out of respect for Genkai. She was the only one not part of their scheme. But I cursed Ryunosuke," he roared. His voice was moving so much around the cave Terra couldn't hear things as clearly as she should and his energy was so over compassing she couldn't determine his location. This was not good. This was not good at all.

"What do I have to do with this? I never even knew the man," Terra snapped bitterly. A mistake.

Rizu lashed out again, but this time with what seemed like shuriken. A few of them pierced her skin and she winced in pain. So, he had a long range attack. Which means she can't use her energy to hurt him. _Shit_.

"I promised Ryunosuke that I would take what was his. But time passed me by. It's easy to forget that humans live such short lives when you can't even see the days."

Terra inched her way to the wall of the cave, feeling around for something, _anything_, that she could use to fight him. Her fingers brushed against something wooden. Shaking, she gripped the branch or root, whatever it was, and pulled. It took more effort than she cared to admit, but she got it free. Terra adjusted her grip on the piece of tree.

"You're all of Ryunosuke there is left," he told her, another shiver going down her spine. "And I plan on taking it."

She heard the slash of water, his claws scrapping against the cave floor, a grumble from him that sent the image of a powerful jaw ripping her apart through her mind. Terra kicked off towards him, using the tree branch to deflect his claws. His tail wrapped around it and tried to pull it from her grip, and while she was distracted, a sharp grip tore at her back. Terra let out a scream that echoed around her. Anger washed over her and the only thought in her mind was how to get a hold of him. She would burn this beast through.

Terra let her grip on the branch go, and his tail went back with a snap. The moment she let go, she spun onto the hand that was still retracting from her back. With speed the Wani wouldn't have predicted, she latched onto his arm, pushing her energy into him.

Rizu wailed and swiped at her with his other arm. Terra pulled the one she had a grip on behind his back and stood on his tail, his free hand unable to reach her. She took one of her hands away and placed it firmly between his shoulder blades. His knees buckled, but Terra stood firmly, keeping her energy flowing but not too strongly.

"Now," she said, her breath shaky. Terra took a moment to collect herself, tears threatening the corner of her eyes. Whether from pain or simply what she was doing right now, she couldn't be sure. But she didn't want to think about it. Never before had she fought someone. Truly fought someone. Terra shook her head. This wasn't the time to deal with her psychological wellbeing. "My hand is right on one of your biggest chakra nerves. You're going to tell me what you know, or I'm going to poison your chi."

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

So, I know this took forever. But, still. You should be thankful that my forever is just over a week and not like, forever. Anywho. Sorry for the wait. I'm still getting things set up in the apartment and my internet only just got installed yesterday. Plus, my two summer courses just started. However, the truth as to why writing this took forever is because I'm currently much more interested (okay, terribly obsessed) with reading Sterek fanfics. Oh my god, I've gotten addicted to Teen Wolf. I thought it was going to be shit, and then it wasn't. And yeah. Sorry.

Thank you all for being so patient.

And I'd like to take a moment to thank my many reviewers. _**Middlekertz**, **crossyourteez**, **Anime1hime**, **Crystal_Jaganshi**, **kungfupandabear**, **Mizz_Ri**, **Mr_steve_jr**, **Mizuki_Nashi**, **VioletNatured**, _and two lovely **_anons_**_. _

If you messaged me on a non anon account and I didn't respond, I'm really sorry. It was hard keeping up with that when I didn't have internet here and had to go to the library or something.


	36. Chapter 36

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**In the Wake of What Follows**

_**Chapter Thirty-Six**_

Terra sat hunched over her seat. Her teeth bit hard into a cloth as she pulled out another scale that had been imbedded into her skin. Rizu's long range attack consisted of shooting fucking scales at her, which he had done close up when Terra had her hand on his back. Unfortunately for him, it didn't knock her away and Terra shot more energy into his system. In the end, he told her everything, and Terra left him there gasping for air. She wasn't sure if he would survive. A part of her wanted to at least take her energy out of his system, but if she did, she didn't know if she could make it out alive. Her safety came first.

She dropped another bloody scale into the bucket beside her. Terra's back and arm where Rizu had clawed her were caked in dry blood and mud having clotted on her way out of the swamp, but all the smaller wounds from his scales bleed freely, trickling down her arms and neck and chest and sides.

"You're hair's gotten longer."

Terra suppressed the flinch. He always made her jump when she didn't catch his energy approaching. Even then, he often surprised her. She told herself she wouldn't allow it to happen again, but it always did. Pulling the rag out of her mouth, she turned to face him. "What are you doing here, Hiei?" Hiei was perched on her open windowsill and had what she could only read as a mask across his face. Even she couldn't tell what emotions he was hiding.

"You're hurt," he said darkly.

Terra gave a dry laugh. "That's an understatement." Terra put the cloth back in her mouth and yanked out yet another scale, clamping her jaw down in pain as she did so. That opening began to bleed out faster than the others which were just pooling, the first ones already clotting. "Shit," she muttered through the cloth which she then spat out. Terra brought her hand up to her neck where that scale had been and started to heal it.

In an instant, Hiei was by her side, pulling her hand away and snarling. He pressed his other hand against the wound, still holding her arm away from her body. "You've used too much energy already," he snapped. "Your body has been taking energy to heal ever since you first tapped into it. That's why you naturally heal so fast. But if you try to use it on those wounds you could drain yourself and end up dying."

Her mouth hung open, trying to find words but nothing came. She didn't know what to say to him. Then suddenly a sharp, burning pain hit the open wound and Terra cried out, wishing the cloth was still in her mouth. "What the _fuck_!" she yelled.

The area was hot even as he took his hand away. "I cauterized the wound," said evenly.

"Fucking _bitch_," she shouted gripping onto her shoulder. As her mind was occupied on that pain, Hiei quickly pulled out the remaining scales, each one pulling another yell from her lips. So caught up in the pain, she hardly noticed Hiei's movements until she was in his arm and he was dumping her in the bathtub. "Hiei? What are you-?"

"Just be quiet and take off your shirt."

Terra's eyes widened. "Excuse me!"

"I need to get to the wound on your back," he said, near rolling his eyes. "You're caked in dirt, those wounds are sure to be infected by now."

She looked up at him. Hiei's eyes were dark, but there was something behind them that she felt.. well, she just felt. Terra nodded slowly and pulled her shirt over her head. Hiei reached over her and turned on the shower. Warm water pelted down, rinsing off the layers of dirt and blood.

Terra felt like a child as she sat in the tub, her sports bra torn open in the back and just letting the water hit her. Then, looking up at Hiei, it just made her shrink into herself. His eyes had that almost sad look he seemed to be giving her every time they were together now. In a way, it was like she was being scolded. She was surprised he wasn't actually scolding her. He hadn't even asked what happened. Just, he looked at her in a way that made her feel like everything she was doing, whether he knew about it or not, was wrong.

With her thoughts clouded on this matter, she sat under the running water and let Hiei take a cloth and rub her clean. She felt his fingers ghosting across her skin as he methodically went over every cut and scrape and torn tissue. Her breath would hitch at times because of the heat and how it made her feel. Her body tried to move into his touch, but it always stayed just ghosting along.

"I'm going to have to reopen these wounds to clean them properly," he said softly. Terra only nodded and braced herself for the pain. As it had been doing, the water around her swirled with more red as Hiei scraped open her almost scabs, first on her arm and then on her back. To distract herself, Terra grabbed another cloth and washed her legs off. Besides some deep bruising, they were largely unharmed.

For a moment, Hiei left her side. When he came back, there was her bottle of peroxide in his hand. She wanted to ask how he knew where it was, but didn't bother. Hiei had probably been stalking her for a while.

"This is going to sting," he told her.

"Understatement," she whispered before clenching her jaw and groaning from the pricking all down her back. Then, a few seconds later, her arm. Terra tried to hold it back, but a whimper sounded in the back of her throat. She barely registered Hiei's grip around her waist as he continued to pat down her open wounds with the peroxide and waited out the pain with her . As he held her, Terra could feel his fingers stroking the scar on her side and lightly tracing the tattoo just above it.

Terra turned her head to look over her shoulder to watch the red eyed demon. His black-blue hair was plastered to his face from the shower. Some of the water as it dripped onto his skin sizzled and steamed around him. "It says 'Why survive when you can live,'" she told him. "I got it when I was eighteen, after my friend killed herself."

"You're barely surviving," he said solemnly.

Her head hung low, her chin touching her chest. "I know," she whispered. "The scar's from-,"

"I know."

Hiei removed his hands that had been trailing at the marks on her side and continued cleaning the openings all over her body. They all ran deep and would take a while to heal fully, but the smaller ones were already scabbing over. His touch made her want to forget she was bleeding. It made her want to press her body against his, to turn over and kiss him and not let him go. But Hiei had been right earlier. She was drained. Terra hardly had the energy to move.

"Come," he said, stepping out of the tub. Hiei reached a hand down to help her up. Terra avoided his gaze, unsure of how she would react if she saw his eyes. Crossing her left arm over her chest to keep her ripped bra on, Terra took his hand with her right and was pulled up and out of the tub. After turning off the water and patting her dry, Hiei led her to her room and instructed her to put on some fresh clothes. He still needed to dress the wounds, but wearing wet and dirty pants weren't comfortable. It almost made her smile knowing that Hiei was thinking of her comfort at that moment.

After a few minutes she came back out into the living area with a dry pair of pants, a loose tee-shirt, and her hair twisted into a messy bun. Terra had the sleeve rolled up all the way on her right arm to keep the cloth off the wound. Hiei had her bandages out and Terra silently sat on a chair, her chest against its back. The slashes on her back were already bleeding through her shirt and sticking it to her skin. Terra reached over and pulled the shirt up, holding it so Hiei could get to the wound.

For the first time, Hiei asked her what she had been doing.

"I went to see Rizu. He apparently doesn't like visitors." She could practically feel the hard look in Hiei's eyes that spelt unamusement. "I needed to ask him some questions."

"Why?" His voice was calm and steady, but she could still hear the underlying impatience.

Terra squirmed in her seat for a second before Hiei put a hand on her shoulder, steadying her. She stayed silent as Hiei placed ointment and gauze over the stretch of her back that was undoubtedly going to scar.

"You can put your shirt down," he grunted. She dropped her grip and let the shirt fall down before twisting herself around on the chair. Hiei then took her arm and began wrapping it.

"You do this often?" she asked. He glanced up at her through his wet hair. Yes, he did. Terra leaned her head against his shoulder. Beneath her, she could feel his muscles tense. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"For what?"

Terra nodded into his chest, taking in his scent. "I'm not sure. I don't… I'm not good at explaining myself, Hiei."

"That's never been true."

Terra sighed and lifted her head up. She was eye to eye with Him and could feel his hot breath on her lips. "I blame you."

From the corner of her eye, she caught his mouth twitch. Both of their breathing had gone slow, deep, wanting the other but unsure if they could have it. His hands were still carefully, gently wrapping her arm. Terra brought her left hand up and cupped the side of his face.

"Terra…" he warned.

"I'm sorry," she said again, her breath shaky. Terra winced a moment as Hiei tugged the bandage tight and tied.

"You've done nothing to apologize for," he said. His voice was husky. It reverberated through her skin like an ocean's wave crashing over rocks, dragging her towards his depths. Terra had forgotten how a man's voice could get.

"Yeah?" she asked with a breathy laugh. "Then maybe I'm apologizing for this."

Before he could protest, Terra leaned in and brushed her lips against his. It was tentative, her entire body shaking with the fear of him pulling away. But then she pressed harder. Her hand on his face snaked around and gripped his hair. She parted her lips and kissed him again, and to her greatest surprise, he kissed back.

Their lips moved against each other's, fast and hungry, deep and powerful, and terribly passionate. Hiei's arms wrapped around her, careful of every fresh mark that Rizu had left on her body, and pulled her closer.

Her body shot jolts of pain every time she moved the wrong way, but she didn't care. Not when the pleasure of his heat was so immediate and lively against her. Her arm twitched in pain as she swept it up his chest. Terra balled her hand into his shirt.

Hiei's hand wrapped around her wrist and pulled back from their kiss. "We can't," he breathed heavily.

Terra's lips pulled together in frustration for a moment before needing to sigh. Her breath was still rigid from their kiss. Her eyes glanced sideways as she spoke. "We don't have to be together, if you don't want it." Terra bit her lip and looked at him. "But, for fucks sake, give me this."

She leaned in again to kiss him, moving her body to better close space with him, but Hiei held her away. "We _can't_."

"Why the fuck not?" she whispered into the heat of his breath.

Hiei dropped his arms from her and walked away. She wasn't going to cry this time. She was too angry at him to cry.

"If I mate," he began, something close to distress in his voice, "I mark. I won't be able to stop that. I won't do that to you."

Terra stood from her seat, her back screaming in pain as she did so. "What's that supposed to mean?" she snapped. "Won't do what to me?"

Hiei spun around, looking at her in a way she didn't know he could. Hurt and scared and lost and alone. "_Trap you_."

Terra sighed, tired of this same old bullshit. She ran a hand over her face and took a few moments to steady her breath. Hiei hadn't left, and Terra was thankful. "You can't keep doing this Hiei."

"I'm not doing anything," he insisted.

"You're being cryptic." Terra walked over to him and crossed her arms. "Can you just, for _once_, talk to me. Tell me what it is that's going on in your head. Unlike you, I can't read minds."

Hiei's eyes connected with hers. They were almost shaking. "I don't read your mind. I thought you wouldn't like it."

Terra looked away, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Well, you thought right." But she frowned again and looked back at him. "Please, Hiei. Talk to me." She reached her hand out slightly and Hiei took a few steps backwards towards the window. Terra left her arm outstretched for him. "Please?"

"You already know my concerns," he told her.

"That I'm human? That I'll grow old and die while you don't?" She threw her arms up before crossing them again. "That, that what, Hiei? What?"

All of his muscles were tense. He looked about near ready to punch the wall. Something was building up in Hiei that he had been trying to hold back for a long time now.

"Do you know what marking entails," he snapped. "It's not just some wedding ring of the damned. You could _die_. You would _never _be able to be with anyone but me, or you would die." Terra's heart sped in her chest. This was not something that had been previously disclosed to her. "Just as your energy can poison me, my energy _will_ poison you if you were unfaithful. It is the way we work. Marking is a sign of dominance, of control. Unless the marking is mutual, which you can't do because you're human." He stood there, close to panting at the words that had spilled from his mouth. The words came out of her as a breath, but he heard them. Hiei snapped his head up, eyes wild in confusion. "_What_?"

"What if I weren't?" she repeated. "What if I weren't human?"

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

dun dun duhhhhhhn

Anywho, with two classes, I'm surprised I wrote this chapter this quickly. Probably because Hiei's back! And I love him. Obviously. Otherwise why would I write this fic in the first place?

So, thank you to all my lovely reviewers. _**crossyourteez**, **CasualHipster**_ (happy birthday miki!), _**middlekertz**, **ShadowDmn**, **Mizuki_Nashi**, **NoWarningSignsNoAlibi**, **kungfupandabear**, **xxx**,_ and a lovely _**anon**_

although, they're calling 'anon' 'guest' now. but lovely anon sounds better than lovely guest. lovely guest sounds creepy.

Thanks everyone for reading and for all the new people adding me to their alerts and what not. It's getting pretty high up there, kinda cool.

Hope you enjoyed!


	37. Chapter 37

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**In the Wake of What Follows**

_**Chapter Thirty-Seven**_

Hiei looked at Terra with a feared confusion.

"What would you do if I weren't human?" she asked again, shrinking into herself and looking down. The words seemed wrong to her, as if she were confessing some terrible secret.

Terra heard his footsteps come closer. Tentative hands lightly gripped her arms. Warmth trailed across her skin as he slid his hands down and intertwined his fingers with her own. Terra swallowed before bringing her gaze up. Hiei's red eyes were uncharacteristically hazy.

"Just the thought is too tempting when seeing you," he murmured. "But you are human, Terra. This question is trivial." There was a bite hidden in his tone, a warning. Hiei wasn't stupid. Cocky and brash, perhaps, but never stupid. The implications of her question didn't go unheard by him.

Terra couldn't bring herself to tell him all she had found. She wasn't stupid either. His words carried so much more than just a warning. "So," she said, her voice shaky and nervous, "you won't be with me because I'm human, but if I were a demon you wouldn't be interested, is that it? My humanity is part of the appeal but also what's holding you back."

Terra shivered and jumped back from him in surprise. His energy had gone cold. Not the angry bitter cold, but the hurt mourning one. So, yes, Terra had guessed correctly. And just the thought of it and hurt him this much? Terra didn't know what to say to make things better between them.

"If it weren't for that, I'd say we were fated," he mused before putting his mask back on and taking a few steps back.

"I don't believe in fate," Terra said.

Hiei looked out her window. She watched him as he stared at her dingy view of the city. "We were what the other needed to pull out of our mourning," he stated simply. "And now I am in my hundredth year and my desire to mate has increased." Terra thought of how Yukina was to have a baby. It made sense this hundred years until full maturity thing worked for him too. "And for a long time I have tried to deny my feelings for you. You're human and what I want is irrational. And I am no good at being good for someone," he told her, his mask slipping for moments and breaking her heart when it did. "But you make it very difficult for me."

Hiei almost smiled as he said that. Terra did too.

"I may not believe in fate, but there may be something to this timing business," she told him. "We came around when we needed each other, but now I don't want to leave. I don't want you to leave."

"It would only trap you, it wouldn't be fair."

"Fair?" she scoffed, crossing her arms awkwardly over her chest. "To who? To you? To me? I think I can make my own decisions on that matter. I'm a grown woman."

"You're a quarter my age," he retorted, looking at her sullenly.

Terra rolled her eyes at him. She walked past him and too the kitchen. It had been a while since she ate and after that much blood loss she needed it. "You know," she said, rummaging through her pantry, "I went to Rizu today to find some information about how the Toguro's became demons after their first time winning the Dark Tournament." Terra spoke casually, as if none of the intense moments between them had just happened at all. As if Hiei were Keiko and they were talking about something she had seen in the shop the other day. "And he wanted to kill me because of some bullshit rivalry with my dead great grandfather. So, I had to fight him. I've never fought somebody before." Terra's hands shook as she tried to pour herself a glass of water. "Not outside of practice, that is. God, I was scared shitless. But your training kicked in, so I gotta thank you."

Hiei watched her. He could see the signs of distress in her body as she spoke and heard every time her voice went up the slightest. She would have fooled a human for sounding casual and confident, but he could tell how shaken she was. Terra was reliving the memories of the fight in her head. She had been truthful all those times she said she wasn't a fighter, and having done so scared her.

"But you don't care about that," she laughed a bit, downing the milk and shoving a granola bar in her mouth.

"Terra." He wanted to say more, but he didn't know the words.

"No, it's fine," she said with her mouth full. "And you know, I wouldn't have been stupid enough to go and actually seek out the guy who could turn me on my own. I thought I could handle Rizu, and I could, mostly, but I don't know." She swallowed. Hiei could see the fit of hysteria building inside her. "I just wanted to find out if it was possible. I mean, it is, it's happened before. But it's _still _possible. And it is. And you could say I wouldn't be myself or whatever, but it wouldn't change who I am. As far as I know Yusuke turning demon didn't change his personality any. And the Toguro's had gone crazy before being turned into demons, so that's that."

"You're rambling," he told her, leaning against the doorframe to her kitchen.

"And you don't seem affected by anything I'm saying," she said. She wasn't going to cry. She refused to cry for him anymore. A promise which apparently meant nothing to her tear ducts. A few stray tears escaped her eyes. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. He wasn't supposed to keep running away. And the one time he doesn't, because he was still standing in front of her, she still can't make him see reason.

"Relationships end, Terra. I won't trap you with me and never give you another chance at anyone else."

Terra knew she looked like a crazed mess. Her hair was a tangled bun still dripping water down her neck. There were small bandages and scrapes all over her body, and one large wrapping could be seen under the sleeve of her tee-shirt. Her face was ragged from lack of sleep and recent tears. And all she could do was look exasperated and add to the craze of her look.

"Hiei," she said, his name catching in her throat. She closed the distance between them and placed a shaking hand on his cheek. "You _are _my second shot at love. I don't want a third one. And if you'd let us be together, I wouldn't need it."

"Love?" With that word, every mask he had on shattered.

Her thumb stroked just beneath his brilliant red eye. They were alight with more emotion than Terra had ever seen out of the man. "Yeah," she laughed breathlessly. "I suppose so."

Hiei's hand came up over hers and held it there. Terra looked away for a moment and then back to him, the craze in her building. She wanted to hit herself and laugh.

"Yes." Her voice was confident this time. She silently berated herself for not realizing how obvious it was. This wasn't some silly crush. This wasn't lust or infatuation. People do crazy things when they're in love. And never before had Terra felt so crazy. "I love you."

Hiei took her hand and brought it to his lips. He inhaled deeply, taking in her scent, before kissing each knuckle gently. "How can you be so certain?" he whispered into her hand.

Terra smiled gently at him, stepping closer.

"I love you," she repeated, pulling their hands away from his lips.

"But-,"

Terra leaned up and placed her lips against his, a smile still pulling the corners of her mouth.

Hiei seemed lost as she pulled away. His chest rose sharply and opened his mouth, but he couldn't say anything. Terra squeezed his hand and continued to stare at him with the small smile never leaving her face. Something had changed between them. Admitting this feeling to herself, to him, it was as if every weight she carried on her shoulders had melted away. This past year she had been searching for something to fill her life, but it was Hiei. He had already been filling up her life, and that was why nothing else felt right.

"Stay with me tonight?" she asked. "We don't have to do anything. Just, don't leave me tonight. I've had a bitch of a day. I don't want to be alone."

He didn't say anything and didn't move. He simply stared at her, unsure of himself and her words and that perfect loving three second kiss she had placed on his lips. Hiei let himself be led into her bedroom and did not object as she pulled him into bed. Everything about this felt right to him. Her scent, the pulse of her heart sending warm blood through her body, her pale body glowing in the darkness. Every scrape and bruise on her body made him want to tear Rizu limb from limb, but he could barely even think about that now as his arms wrapped around her as if they had done so every night for all their lives. It felt so right. She had asked him to stay. Now he never wanted to let her go.

X

When Terra woke up that morning she was encompassed by incredible warmth. It took her a moment to remember everything that had happened, but when she did, a smile spread across her face. He was still there, pressed against her back. She could feel the tickle of his hair against her cheek and his lips pressed ever so gently against the nape of her neck. It wasn't going to be enough forever, but it was plenty for now.

"Morning," she mumbled. Terra could feel him take a deep breath and nuzzle her skin. "Part of me wondered if you ever sleep."

"I do," he muttered. Hiei's fingers trailed down her side. "It's rather hard to resist."

"Resist?"

Hiei opened his mouth a bit, the flat of his teeth scraping the slightest against her shoulder. Terra chuckled into her arm before twisting around to face him. The movement pulled on her healing wounds, but she bared the sting without much display on her face. "The only thing stopping you is you," she said, looking into his eyes.

Hiei looked to his hand that was tracing around the scabs on Terra's arm. "You're so fragile," he said.

"And you're so foolish."

Terra pushed herself up out of the bed and stretched. As much as she could have stayed with him just lying there, she figured her moving away could be used as punishment for that comment. Terra was right in that matter. Hiei left his fingers on her as long as possible before she slipped away and out of bed. He watched as she unabashedly changed in front of him, her back to him the entire time. A deep rumble not audible to Terra's ears bounced around the cavities of his chest. The wound from Rizu had bleed through the bandage on her back in a deep stain. Terra's body was riddled with fresh scabs and old scars. He stood by his statement, despite her taunting. She was fragile.

Once a fresh shirt was covering her skin, Terra picked up her necklace from the dresser and clasped it around her neck. This time the rumble in his chest could be heard. Terra gave him an odd look.

"Why do you still wear it?" he asked, his face his old mask.

"Don't tell me you're jealous of my dead boyfriend," she near scoffed before sitting down to put on socks.

"You were going to marry him," he said.

Terra looked over her shoulder at Hiei. He seemed so natural, lounging on her bed, tangled in her sheets. She could get used to seeing him by the morning light in her room. She smiled inwardly at the thought, trying to ignore the fact that last night hadn't meant he'd stay with her forever. Just for this moment. "People have infinite amount of love to give, Hiei." Terra told him. "I will always love Jeremy, but that doesn't change my feelings for you." She turned around on the bed to face him, lying on her stomach and breathing in. She may not have demon senses, but the scent of a man is still intoxicating. "I'll put the ring away, next to my mother's pearls which I wore obsessively after she died, sometime. It's part of my mourning, Hiei."

She watched his face and all the micro expressions as Hiei gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes to the most miniscule of degrees. "It's stupid," he finally said. "It's been two years."

Terra brought her hand up and twined her fingers around the silver chains she had seen around his neck so many times. "And what about you?" she asked, pulling free the two pearl like gems from the collar of his shirt. "You're mourning over someone who's not even dead." Terra ignored the steely look in his eyes as she continued to toy with the gems. "You once told me these are the tears of your mother. One for you and one for Yukina. And you carry them around your neck simply because you are unwilling to tell her who you are. Even though I could tell she knows, she knows, Hiei, and you're mourning over her when you could just be happy."

Terra dropped the necklaces, continuing to ignore the stare boring into her, and rolled out of bed again. "All this misery, sure you've had reason to be hurt, but you put so much misery on yourself." Terra brushed her hair. It had gotten knotted terribly from the wet bun she slept in. "But worse, you're hurting the rest of us."

In a flash, he was standing behind her, his fiery hands snaking around her waist. "I don't wish to hurt you," he whispered into her mess of hair. She could hear the tension in his voice that came from the speak of his sister.

"I know."

Hiei's hand reached up and played with a strand of her hair, twirling it around his finger. "I do not mind this color you seem to prefer, but your natural hair smells much better than this henna you use."

Terra couldn't help the laugh fall from her lips. "What _is _your obsession with my hair?"

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

First off, thank you _**xxx**, **NoWarningSignsNoAlibi**, **Takara_Rose_Oizumi**, **kungfupandabear**, **Mr_steve_jr**, **VioletNatured**, **WeKnowOurWingsOurFlawedBVB**, **crossyourteez**,** Nana08**, **Mizuki_Nashi**,_ and _**middlekertz**_for their lovely reviews.

I hope this one lives up to the hype I gave you last chapter.

Also, I love you. I don't know if I've ever said that. You guys are awesome.


	38. Chapter 38

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**In the Wake of What Follows**

_**Chapter Thirty-Eight**_

The rest of the day went by like a dream. Terra watched Hiei, fascinated, when he ate breakfast. It was the first time she had seen him eat. They lounged in each other's company tip toeing around the subject that had riled them up the night before. Hiei needed time, and Terra knew this. She was content for the moment and wasn't going to press the issue.

But, as much as he didn't want to leave her, Hiei did leave before night came.

And then the days went by casually as if nothing had happened. The small scrapes from the scales healed fully into thin, crescent scars all over her body and the two places Rizu had clawed her scabbed over. They were still sore, and Terra had to move carefully to not break over the one on her back, they were healing well, if Kurama's professional opinion could be trusted. She was advised against healing them using her power as her energy was already doing what it could to speed the process.

Terra visited Keiko and the baby and went to lunch with Kurama. Kuwabara visited her once and she denied his offer for Yukina's healing. There was one morning that, as Terra was getting ready, she went to put on her necklace out of habit and for the first time, she didn't need it. It was like something in her heart had flown away, leaving her lighter than before. She took the ring off the chain and put away.

Terra contemplated about getting another job or going back to the diner she had worked at the summer before, but instead she found herself doing what she enjoyed. She read, watched an unhealthy amount of Netflix, she went jogging every morning. She danced.

It had been a while since Terra had danced, and it felt so good, despite the ache it lent the wound on her back.

Then, one day, almost two weeks since she fought Rizu, Terra found herself being ushered out of her apartment by Yusuke. "So what great reason are you kidnapping me to the temple?"

Yusuke laughed, shaking his head. "If you don't already know, why should I ruin the surprise?"

Terra smirked and let herself be led away. It wasn't until they were reaching the top of the steps and Terra saw the blue streamers that it dawned on her what day it was.

"Seriously?" she whined.

"Hey," Yusuke said, jabbing Terra's shoulder with a finger. "You ditched on us for Australia last year and then didn't let us do anything when you came back. So you have to suffer doubly now."

She sighed and rolled her eyes. Yusuke lead Terra through the temple and out back where everybody was waiting, Kuwabara at the grill.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" they all cheered.

Terra looked around, smiling at them all. Hiei wasn't there, and her heart sank a little, but was distracted quickly by Keiko and Yukina presenting her with cake. Which she then promptly smooshed into Yusuke's face. Which started a lovely cake battle.

X

The sun was just, _just _beginning to set. Everyone was full, Tomio and Yuzuki had fallen asleep (well, Yuzuki had been asleep practically the whole time. Can't blame her, she's a newborn), and they had all managed to clean up after the cake fight. Although, Terra got an impressing amount of icing in Kurama's hair that might take an extra shampooing or two.

She sat next to the kitsune on the grass and stared up at the sky. Everyone around her was full of mirth and chatting happily and she let it soak in.

"Kurama?"

"Yes?"

"Can I ask you something about Hiei?"  
>"Well that depends on what it is."<p>

She rolled her eyes and hit his leg lightly. "What was his relationship with Mukuro? I mean, I know he cared about her deeply and he was her second in command for a while, but…"

Kurama sighed. "It's really not my place to say."

"But…" she urged on.

"For the full story, you should really ask Hiei."

"I don't need the full story, Kurama."

He ran a hand over his face and gave Terra a wayward smile, so much more sincere than the ones he normally doles out. "From what I gather, he never marked her, if that's what you're asking."

"Has he..," she didn't quite want to say the words. "Has he ever marked anybody?"

"Yes, in his younger days. Although I believe those have been, ah, extinguished."

Terra knew these marks were for life. She could infer the rest.

"Has Hiei ever been..?"

"No."

They stayed silent for some time, just watching the setting sun over the horizon.

"I told him I love him," she whispered.

Kurama reached over and placed his hand gently on her shoulder and squeezed.

X

The last few rays of daylight were fading behind the line of trees and cityscape. Kuwabara was officially no longer cooking and another batch of birthday desserts popped up with the explicit instruction that they were not to be used as weapons.

Terra still dropped a cookie down the back of Yusuke's pants.

Then Hiei showed up.

Yusuke gave some snide remark in good humor about showing up on time, Terra didn't quite catch it. Her attention was on the fire demon as if nothing else mattered in the world. Air rushed out of her lungs as he walked over. She composed herself quickly and gave him a shy smile.

"Hey."

"Hn."

"Make any decisions?" she offered, keeping her voice light to let him know he didn't have to answer. He still had time. She was willing to give him more time.

When he stayed silent Terra nodded in understanding.

"You know," she said, in the same tone, "I'll love you forever. But knowing if you'll let me have you is something I find very important. So, just, keep that in mind."

He nods slightly, his eyes never quite leaving hers. "I have made a decision."

Terra tried her best to not let her breath hitch. And then Hiei turned and Terra did her best not to let her heart break. She watched as he made his way towards Yukina. The ice apparition gave her warm smile and greeted Hiei kindly.

"I won't say it," Hiei said curtly. "But according to Terra you already know. I'm done hiding, and you should take this back."

Hiei took Yukina's hand and placed the tear gem in her palm, his fingers curling her over the object. Yukina looked as if she was about to cry, but only stayed dumbstruck for a moment before launching herself at Hiei, embracing her brother. Hiei didn't return the hug, but he stood still and let himself be subjected to the contact. And that was more than any of the onlookers could have imagined. When Yukina let go, Hiei glared at everybody in turn (sans Terra) as if daring them to say something.

Only one was dumb enough to ignore the warning. "Well that took forever," Yusuke grinned. "I'm glad we don't have to talk about it behind everyone's backs now."

Kuwabara held his wife in her fit of joy as Hiei made his way back to Terra.

"You know," she started, "when I asked if you made any decisions, I meant about us."

"I know."

She rested back against a tree and crossed her arms. "And, have you made any decisions?"

He blinked once. "I still worry."

"I know," she breathed out, trying to real back in the serenity she had before.

Hiei moved closer and reached up. His hand, as always, hot against her skin, Hiei stroked her cheek with his thumb. Terra leaned into the touch and it left her all too quickly.

When Hiei was gone, Kurama made his way over, giving her an appraising look. "You two seem on friendlier terms," he remarked.

"He's a fucking bastard," she smirked.

Then suddenly there was a cupcake falling off her face, leaving globs of frosting in its wake. Terra gaped for a second before putting her game face on. "Oh, that's it!" she cheered, racing to the table full of desserts. "Mother fucking ROUND TWO!"

X

It was almost a month later that Terra next saw Hiei. He crept into her apartment, but she had sensed him coming. She didn't want to push him, she didn't. She didn't want to push the issue because she didn't want to push him away, but he was already away and it had been driving her crazy. So when what Terra had meant to say was _Hi_, instead the words that came out of her mouth were "Have you made your choice?"

"I still worry," he said calmly, keeping his distance.

Terra ran a hand down her face and sat down. Hiei noted it was the same chair she had been in, bloody and covered in scales. He had reason to worry.

"I know," she began, not quite sure of her words. But this had been building up inside, and once she stared, the words rushed out of her like air from a balloon. "I know we never dated, but our relationship was never going to be a conventional one. You were there for me when I needed you and you continued to be there for me when I need you. What more can I do to prove that I love you? What more can I do to prove to you that I will never want for another man? And yes, I have been watching a lot of period dramas and it is affecting the way I speak. The point is, I love you." She took a moment to lock eyes with Hiei. "I want to be with you. I would turn into a demon for you. I would accept your mark as a human for you. I would marry you if I thought that mattered to you."

"You would marry me?" he asked, curiosity evident in his voice.

"Yes," she replied without a moment's hesitation.

Hiei looked her over. "The first time we ever truly spoke, you told me your views on marriage."

"Yes."

"Purely idealistic," he reminded her.

"Yes," she laughed.

"What makes you think what we feel for each other now won't turn into another statistic?"

"Because it's you."

He stayed silent for a moment, his eyes searching for something in her. She could do nothing but stare back, hiding nothing in her features.

"Do you _want _to be a demon?" he asked.

"Do you want me to be one?"

He shook his head, "That doesn't matter. Do _you _want to be a demon?"

Terra pulled her lips in to wet them before speaking. "If it means I get to spend more time with you, then yes. As far as I'm concerned, it's like changing religion."

His mouth quirked slightly before looking away. "You would take all the power that comes with being a demon and use it solely to be with me."

"I'm taking all the power that comes with being a human and using it solely to be with you."

He started at that. It was true. Terra was already giving him everything, and willing to give him more. And he wanted to give her everything in return.

"You're a fool," he muttered.

"You're the fool, Hiei."

His eyes slid back to her figure, leaning forward as if paused mid action, as if everything was telling her to go towards him but she held herself back. She looked the way he felt.

"You make it so hard to resist," he said quietly, his breath suddenly gone.

"So you've said."

Hiei took a step forward before quite realizing he was moving. "I really don't think I can resist any longer," he told her, pleading with her for forgiveness on something that neither needed to apologize.

Terra found herself standing, heart racing her chest. "I'm okay with that," she breathed out.

With another few steps they were in front of each other, both wide eyed and uncharacteristically timid.

"I guess it's up to you then," Hiei said, a low rumble in the back of his throat.

"Me?" Terra scoffed. She had laid her choices out for him long ago.

The makings of a real smile began tugging at Hiei's lips. She thought it looked beautiful. Hiei leaned in, their faces mere inches apart. Terra could feel his heat like a physical ache. They weren't touching anywhere and that really needed correcting.

"Would you like this as a human or as a demon?" Hiei asked, whispering against her lips.

She breathed once. Twice.

Terra flung her arms around Hiei, pulling him in and crashing her lips against his. His arms snaked around her waist, tugging the back of her shirt up. They moved against each other with deep kisses and wandering hands.

She didn't fully register Hiei lifting her slightly and the woosh of scenery and he sped them to her bed room. It happened in the matter of seconds. They fell back onto her bed, tearing at clothes exploring skin. They tumbled around so Terra was on top and she fell to kissing a trail down his neck and chest and stomach. As she reached low, a growl rattled in his chest. Suddenly he was above her, kissing her fiercely. He rested his body down so their chests were flush against each other, rocking slowly. She gasped into his mouth.

Hiei pulled back the slightest so he could stare into her eyes.

"I'm ready," she told him, her voice strong and sure despite the lack of oxygen.

He kissed her again, chaste and longing, before kissing her again on her jaw, then under her ear, then on her pulse on the side of her neck, then at the crook where her neck reached her shoulder. His teeth scraped lightly in the area as he opened his mouth then breathed in deeply. Terra could feel his hesitation.

"Please," she whispered into his ear.

It was all he needed.

As Hiei bit her, Terra arched up, trying in every way to connect them more. A sense of euphoria washed over her and her breath stopped from the sensation. And then Terra felt his energy, stronger than it had ever hit her before, and it was like she was on the surface of the sun. She was certain she would never be cold again, and when this was over, she would sleep easy.

* * *

><p>NOTES:<p>

First, don't hate me for taking so long! I had summer courses and work and moving and blah (and, yes, okay, a maybe unhealthy obsession with Teen Wolf for which I have read waaay to many fics) and this got put on the back burner, but I hope it came out good! More than good. AMAZING! Because, this is the last chapter. Sad to say goodbye, I know, but I can now actually maybe write for my other fics now. They've been sorely neglected.

Second, thank you all you amazing reviewers: _**gorgeousnightmare420**, **TrebleJazz**, **Mr_steve_jr**, **Nana08**, **crossyourteez**, **Takara_Rose_Oizumi**, **kungfupandabear**, **VoiletNatured**, **Mizuki_Nashi**, **middlekertz**, **ShadowDmn**, **Crystal_Jaganshi**, **Animefreak32541**,_ and a lovely **_anon_**! As well as everyone else who has reviewed throughout the making of this story.

You guys have made writing this story a pleasure and I cannot express my gratitude enough for how much your reviews mean to me.


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